Sword Art Online: Desert Army
by Xera Stark
Summary: A new desert region has emerged on the horizon. An Island riddled with sand, sandstone, and countless new enemies. What will Kirito and his friends find when exploring the undiscovered territory? Exactly what is it that lurks in the darkness at the heart of the unknown desert? Why is this story called Desert Army? Kirito x Sinon Adventure/Humor/Romance/Action/Harem/Mystery/Fighting
1. Secured

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Secured

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Out of the corner of Kazuto's vision, a blur of red hair and a bandana slid onto the stool to his right followed by a rough hand to the shoulder.

"Oh, come on man. You don't have to be so mopey. It was only a matter of time with you two anyway." Ryotaro commented.

Kazuto sighed and gazed down at his loosely clasped hands. "Y-yeah, I guess."

Agil finished wiping down the glass nestled in his hands and set it down gently. "So are you two going to continue chatting, or are you planning to order something?" He asked, approaching the two from his spot behind the bar.

Ryotaro gave a wave of the hand and removed his other from the sulking teen's shoulder, "I dunno, surprise me."

The tall man behind the counter nodded and turned to Kazuto.

"Bourbon on the Rocks." The swordsman replied with an exasperated breath.

A few moments later, a glass slid across the bar's surface and slowed to a stop in front of Kazuto's hands. He looked down for a second before picking of the glass of brown liquid. Taking a sip, the bitter but flavorful taste sated his thirst but a hint of disappointment graced his face in the form of a frown.

"Unsweetened Iced-tea. You may be a good friend but I'm still not serving a minor any kind of alcohol." Agil deadpanned as he began stirring together a second drink.

Ryotaro's brown eyes glanced at the black-clad teen next to him, his careful gaze taking in his friend's depressing appearance and lack of attention. They've known each other for nearly 3 years now, and he always liked to pride himself with knowing what's going on in that kid's head.

This time was no exception.

"Ah hell, let's get this over with." The young adult groaned as he rolled his shoulders, acting as if he was preparing to engage a Titan in hand-to-hand combat. With the current situation, maybe that would be the best option for the combat addicted teen anyway. Kazuto always seemed to enjoy watching Ryotaro get his ass handed to him by a couple of mini-bosses.

Maybe later.

With a baited breath, Ryotaro's eyes caught Agil's nod to continue. "Talk about it. Tell me what happened. I can be your counselor for today."

Kazuto swirled the iced-tea in his glass as he looked down into the vortex with an empty gaze. "It's nothing to worry about. Asuna and I have come to terms with it. Heck, we've probably already known this day was coming ever since we got together after SAO."

He stopped the movement of his drink in favor of taking a sip before continuing.

"Ever since we did that, we both noticed that we just weren't getting along like we did in-game. I don't know why, or…maybe I do but just don't want to admit it." Kazuto's onyx eyes drifted to Ryotaro's before snapping back to his glass and continuing, "I guess we just…drifted apart. After a while, things slowed down to the point of barely getting together at all during the span of each week. And finally, last weekend, she called me and asked if we could meet."

His black hair shifted as her shook his head and gave a faint chuckle. "I guess I knew what she wanted to say. We both did. That's why we're still friends after that last meet up as a couple. I don't blame her, and she doesn't blame me. I actually feel kind of relieved, you know, with not worrying about being in a relationship."

"You're the only man with that kind of problem, you know that?" Ryotaro complained as he extended his hand, catching the sliding glass of his own drink.

"What do you mean?" Kazuto questioned, a look of honest confusion taking residence on his features.

 _Ah, sometimes I just wanna smother you with a pillow yah dense little bastard._ Ryotaro threatened in his head and tightened his grip on his glass. His mind rushed through a scene of an accidental homicide during a pillow bar-fight, but he immediately wiped that thought from his head. Loosening his grip, he just sighed instead of taking action.

"You know what, never mind." His own features hardened exponentially after taking a swig of the alcoholic contents in his grip. "Gah, Agil! What the _hell_ is this?!" Ryotaro exclaimed, hoisting his glass up in shock and disgust.

"What? You told me to surprise you…and I did." Agil chuckled as he poured the man a new cup of something simple. Whiskey.

"Now that's more like it!" The red-head remarked as he pushed his previous glass out of the way to make room for the new one.

Agil exchanged drinks with the now chipper man and emptied out the first concoction's contents into the nearby sink. The only two men in the bar were both fully aware of the small amused smirk that graced Kazuto's lips.

It's a start.

"You know what?" Ryotaro smirked, gaining the attention of the other occupants in the vacant bar. "Let's go check out that new desert region, just us guys. Maybe a little fighting will cheer yah up some more."

"You mean the new island that's been recently discovered in the west? Past Sylph territory?" Kazuto responded, his interest beginning to spike.

Ryotaro raised his glass and gestured to the boy clad in black, "Yup. That's the one."

The teen's pristine dark eyes glanced to his phone for confirmation on the time before downing the remains of his iced-tea.

"I'm in. We can scout it out tonight then get everyone together for some quests tomorrow." Kazuto offered after passing his empty glass of ice over to Agil. A similar second cup slid across the surface moments later.

"Yeah! It'll be a guy's night out! This'll be tons of fun!" The chipper red-head cheered as he stretched his arms behind his head, clasped fingers rested securely behind his head in a relaxed manor. "Agil, you in?"

Agil looked up from the running water in his sink before placing the two glasses underneath the warm flow. "Nah man, I've got a bar to run. Unlike you two, I have a stable job."

"Hey, some people just aren't so lucky." Ryotaro retorted, earning an amused chuckle from both Agil and Kazuto.

"That's fine. This unemployed failure of a lady's man and I can still do some scouting in new territory." Kazuto commented. Immediately after he cast that remark out, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder as the taller red-head used it to hoist himself off of the bar stool.

"Oi, you know that wasn't necessary." Ryotaro grunted in mock hurt as he stood up.

Kazuto shrugged off the man's hand and stood up soon after, "Yeah, but it was some much needed entertainment." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile on his face.

"Good to see you smiling again, I was getting worried." Agil announced from behind the bar with a slight laugh.

"Yeah, and it's good to see you getting customers again in this dump." Kazuto retorted, knowing full well that Agil's bar does fairly well despite being tucked away from the main streets.

"Still pumping out the blunt comments I see. Man, you never change." The bartender chuckled before giving the two a wave good-bye, "Now get out of my bar." He added in a friendly voice.

Ryotaro lifted his hand up and extended his fingers, "Yeah, I'll see yah tomorrow if you're in for some new quests."

"I'll think about it." Agil replied honestly. If he had time, he'll definitely join in on some much needed VR action. "Take care you two."

Kazuto gave a lazy wave over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. Ryotaro soon fell in line beside his friend and the two exited.

The teen shoved his hands into his long black coat's pockets. His slim figure took a second to readjust to the chill of the afternoon air. The extending tails of his coat kicked back slightly in the winter breeze, revealing a pair of black jeans and similarly black sneakers.

Ryotaro had a much less _silent_ re-adjustment.

"Whoo, the temperature seriously dropped didn't it? I wasn't expecting it to cool so quickly. I mean, we are entering winter, but this is _way_ too fast!" The red-head stated, wrapping his arms around his red coat hugging his upper body and shivering against the slight wind. His own worn blue jeans and brown boots illuminated in the fading light.

"We should get home quickly. I'll meet you at the GreenLeaf Inn over in Sylph territory. Try to be there within an hour. That should be enough time to log in and fly there." Kazuto informed, his breath visible in-between the two. With a quick 'see you later', he tucked his chin into the confines of his collar and began walking away.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you there." Ryotaro called out, watching as his friend began his solitary walk back home. After a few seconds, he turned and made his way toward his own apartment.

* * *

Kazuto let his breath waver slightly as he shook off the remains of the cold climate that lingered outside his front door.

"I'm home." He said, as he slipped out of his shoes and padded across the wooden floor toward the coat rack, where he hung up his black coat alongside his sister's dark green one.

Soon after his hands left the fabric of his winter jacket, the sound of feet roaming down the hallway upstairs echoed down to his ears.

He looked up past his bangs just in time to see his little sister, Suguha, bound down the stairs.

"Welcome home, Kazuto-kun!" She exclaimed. Her short, neck length black hair bounced around as she made her way down the steps. Dark grey eyes danced across Kazuto's form just as she landed at the base of the stairs. Her cute childish features only supported the 'younger sister' role she played in Kazuto's life.

Even if they weren't actually brother and sister, she still acts like it. Suguha was actually Kazuto's cousin. Having been adopted at a young age, Kazuto grew up with the fact of knowing where his true blood resided. His sister however, only found out during the 'Death Game' incident of Sword Art Online. Despite that disaster, the two cousins have grown quite close because of that. They've interacted as actual family, to an extent, for their entire lives so it's only natural to continue doing so.

Even if Kazuto is the only one who sees it that way.

"Thanks, Suguha-chan." He teased, unknowingly causing her face to flush red as he turned to look toward the kitchen.

 _I have some time before meeting up with Ryotaro. So I guess I can grab a bite to eat then head up._ Kazuto thought out before making his way through the entrance into their shared kitchen.

"T-there's some rice and left-over curry from this morning in the fridge. You can have some of that if you're hungry." Suguha said, standing in the doorway with her hands clasped behind her back.

Kazuto nodded and took in what she stated, "Alright."

He made his way over to the fridge and opened it up. True to Suguha's words, a medium sized bowl of curry sat on the center shelf. Above it sat the extra chunks of rice from earlier within the confines of its own smaller bowl.

Kazuto pulled the two items into his grasp and kicked the weighted door closed. His strength has gone up quite a bit compared to how he was, physically, during rehab. It took some time, but measured food and plenty of exercise helped him get back into a healthy shape. Thankfully, everything worked out for almost all of the SAO survivors. They even put together a school to catch them all up on what they missed in those 2 years of being trapped in that game.

Or so they said. In all reality, Kazuto couldn't shake the feeling of it just being a place to spy on all the teens that were once a part of the most violent incident that wasn't considered an actual _war_. Pitting young people together in a 'life or death' situation was concerning to the majority of society. So, it was safe to assume that some of them may still have violent tendencies. So far, that theory has been proven wrong.

Grabbing a small plate from the cabinet and placing a decent sized helping of curry and rice onto it, Kazuto began reheating the contents in their microwave.

"Are you going to eat?" He asked kindly as he approached the left-over containers.

Suguha shook her head from her place in the doorway and made her way over to a seat at the kitchen table. "No thanks, I already ate. I didn't think you'd be back so late." She replied, placing her chin atop her interlaced fingers.

 _Is he still depressed?_ She asked herself as she watched her 'brother' re-seal the food containers and place them back in the fridge. _He's acting slightly more cheerful than he was this morning, so that's definitely something to take note of._

"I have a meeting with Klein in about 26 minutes. We're going to scout out the new desert territory that's been discovered. Are you up for some questing tomorrow?" He informed after removing his now steaming meal from the confines of the microwave.

"Sure. I'm interested. Who else is joining?" She responded, watching as Kazuto looked up in thought as he approached his own seat.

"Well, Agil is a _maybe_ right now. Klein is definitely in. If I know Shino-san like I think I do, she's probably in. Could you message her and the rest for me?" Kazuto requested, sitting himself down and looking across the table.

Suguha nodded and pulled out her tablet, soon she pulled up the contact information and opened up a group chat, "What time do you want everyone to be online by, and where?"

Kazuto tapped the wooden table idly and gave it a quick thought, "Just tell them to group up at the western docks over in Sylph territory and sail across the water. They'll find Klein and me at the nearest city in the new territory. If they start sailing at 10:00, they should reach us within an hour at the latest." He suggested.

Suguha smiled, realizing that the whole group was finally getting together again to do some dungeon clearing or even just completing a couple of quests. She didn't comment on his decision to let _her_ inform Asuna about the plan, but she didn't blame him either.

She's just glad they didn't have a rough breakup. Actually, it went quite smoothly. Somehow, Kazuto and Asuna are still close friends. It vexes her mind at how lucky he can get when it comes to girls.

Kazuto smiled his thanks before looking down at his food, moments later his eye brows furrowed in realization.

"I forgot a spoon." He sighed.

The teen pushed himself back to his feet and made his way to the silverware drawer. Suguha's quiet giggling warmed the atmosphere ever so slightly, causing a smile to grow on Kazuto's face.

He swiftly grabbed a spoon and marveled at the fact that he didn't end up having to shuffle around in the small compartment to grasp one of the handles. He soon made his way back to the table and began digging into his now nicely heated dinner.

Kazuto ate in silence for a little while. The only sounds resonating off the kitchen walls were the clatter of metal against his plate and the typing Suguha was doing. After a few minutes, she finished messaging everyone and placed down her black tablet to look across the table.

"Isn't it weird?" She asked, confusing Kazuto.

"What's weird?" He replied before finishing off the last bites of his food.

"The fact that ALO hasn't updated. There was no official announcement, or any announcement at all. Someone just happened to sail out and _find_ a massive island of sand and sandstone. You'd think someone would've discovered it before, right?" Suguha elaborated.

Kazuto placed down the spoon within his loose grip onto his plate and leaned back in thought. "Now that you mention it, it is pretty weird. Someone _should_ have discovered an island that large by now. In fact, tons of people have gone sailing before and come back with nothing. For an island like that to pop up out of the blue, it's a little mysterious. Usually there'd be a reveal trailer for new land updates." He pondered in thought for a little while before shrugging his shoulders.

"Whatever it is, it's exciting and players are beginning to find out about it. So, we should check it out soon before the majority catch wind of the new region." The boy reasoned.

"Okay. Just…be careful. Most of that land is undiscovered, so we don't know what's out there." Suguha spoke quietly in a worried tone.

Kazuto gave her a warm smile and stood up, "You know me, I'm as careful as they come. Besides, I'm not going alone this time." He reassured her before dropping his dishes into the dishwasher and disappearing up the stairs.

"I hope so." She sighed under her breath, but she couldn't help but feel excited for what tomorrow holds. New land means new quests, and that will undoubtedly lead to fighting with Kazuto and the rest of her friends. These next few weeks are definitely going to be more fun than they've had in a long time.

* * *

Kazuto closed the door to his dim room and padded his way over to the bed. His eyes registered the existence of his Nerve Gear sitting idly on the shelf across the room. Countless memories resurfaced just from looking at its slightly battered and used shape.

After a few seconds, he turned his head away to look toward his bed. A new Amusphere was plugged in and placed lazily atop his pillow. Alfheim Online was already inserted, all he needed to do now is initiate the link.

The Nerve Gear was upgraded recently to the current model for VRMMORPG diving. Something about constantly using his old gear just didn't feel right to him. And this new machine was significantly safer as well, so there were tons of pros to upgrading.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from using the Nerve Gear every once in a while. It carried a sense of nostalgia with it, despite the events it's associated with.

Deciding to jump right in, he threw back his blanket and snuggled himself into the warm confines of his bed. Kazuto got into a comfortable position and let the comforter fall on top of his form. Reaching up, he grabbed the familiar object above him and nestled it into place around his head. The visor screen displayed the time as usual, it wasn't _that_ late.

19:48

 _Plenty of time._ He confirmed before tucking his arms beneath the blanket. His smile grew as he naturally let the initiation words slip out of his mouth.

"Link Start!"

Immediately, his vision faded into blackness and then everything grew white. Beams of an assortment of colors flew past his vision before English words of the five senses appeared and disappeared quickly, confirming his ability to play.

He swiftly logged himself in and enjoyed the feeling of loading up his character into the Virtual World.

* * *

Kirito opened his eyes to the site of a room to an Inn. Remembering where he logged out, he strolled out of the door and down the stairs into the main room of the building. Every piece of furniture in the Inn had a certain 'Sylph' design to them. Some focused on using a leaf style of architecture, or others just made of something wooden and natural.

It was still breath taking. Just the fact of being in a new, beautiful world was amazing.

Few players roamed around the Inn, some just entering while others sat idly at the tables throughout the main room. The friendly NPC behind the bar gave him a quick wave before resuming cleaning glasses. Everything about this place was warm and inviting. Not just that, it was also near the outskirts of the city and out of the way. So it's the perfect place to meet up with someone.

While he waited, Kirito scrolled through his inventory to look over his gear. He was grinding for nearly 32 total hours on floor 66 of Aincrad for over the span of a week, just to try his luck on getting a better sword. To his unrestrained pride and overwhelming sense of relief, he finally received the ultra-rare drop. It wasn't at all that he was lonely and had a lot of time on his hands.

After discovering the blade's existence, nothing was going to stop him from getting his hands on the weapon.

«Veldi's Eostryder»

He read over the name and spent a little while admiring it. To his preference, it was a heavy black long sword. The blade itself was made out of some of the most durable materials known to exist in the world of ALO and SAO. This blade was made almost entirely from hardened dragon bones.

Veldi's Eostryder, it was a unique name, but so far the meaning behind it was obscure. The lore behind the weapon wasn't very descriptive. All he got out of it was what it was made out of, and that the blade had superior magical properties and strength.

Over all, it looks cool and it's powerful. Essentially it's an excellent weapon to pair with his legendary golden Excalibur.

"Yo! Kirito!"

Kirito looked up to the sight of Klein, clad in red Salamander red light armor and a bandana. Basically the usual Ryotaro. His katana is sheathed and unequipped considering where the two of them are currently.

A Spriggan and a Salamander in Sylph territory. It wouldn't end well if they both had their weapons equipped and on show.

"H-hey, Klein."

Kirito responded in his usual reserved greeting. The red samurai strolled up to the swordsman and pat his shoulder. "Same as ever I see. So, you got a plan or what?"

The teen in question swiped through his menu and pulled up the map of the area, "Yeah, we'll take a small ship out of the port nearby and we should be able to reach the new region within 50 minutes of fast sailing. After that, we should make our way to the closest town and look around for some quests. We'll probably run into some mobs along the way." Kirito stated, pointing to the respective locations on his discovered map of the mainland. The areas out at sea however were un-rendered, so he hasn't gone out that far yet. He's never had a reason to.

Klein nodded along to Kirito's explanation and placed a hand on his hip. "Sounds easy enough, let's get going."

"Someone's eager." The teen clad in black commented.

"Who wouldn't be?! This is new territory we're talking about!" Klein exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, keep it down. Let's go." Kirito took the lead and exited the Inn with Klein following close behind. The two strange outsiders made their way through the Sylph territory and arrived at the port within a few minutes. They could see the stars across the vast darkness of the sky above in the reflection of the water. It gave the ocean a certain glow to it, almost like there was some sort of armada of glowing lights just below its surface.

The young teen spotted a small shack at the edge of the land, just before the docks. Soon, the two of them entered the shop and were greeted with a homely welcome. Behind the counter, an NPC stood in some sort of Sylph Sailor's outfit designed to look more fairy-like than the real world's.

Kirito approached the counter and stated his business, "Hello, we'd like to rent a small sailing vessel." He spoke professionally to the NPC in the boat house. The back wall was mostly open and led straight out into the port itself. Klein couldn't make out how far the port went, but he was sure it was pretty extensive. Throughout the port were numerous ships varying in size and shape. Most had sales of different sizes, while others had sets of oars. Those were the _dirt_ cheap ones.

A chart of different ships appeared and listed off all the available vessels along with respective prices. Kirito picked a cheaper, two person vessel that was equipped with a decent sized sale and medium storage.

"That'll be 2,500 yrd." The man behind the counter replied in a thick sailor accent. A purchase message popped up in front of Kirito with the option to confirm or deny the request that was presented.

Kirito selected 'confirm' and paid the man his money. The boat merchant bent down to grab something behind the counter and came back with some sort of small glowing gem.

"Use this to locate and enter you're rented boat. Thank you for your service!"

"Well, he's a cherry fellow isn't he?" Klein remarked as the two of them left the boat merchant's shop.

"Yeah, I guess he was just programmed that way." Kirito responded as he looked down at the small gem in his palm. It gave off a faint blue glow, and a small digital compass hovered above it pointing down the length of the dock.

Kirito led Klein past all the expensive looking ships, and eventually approached a much smaller boat. It was made of some sort of reinforced wood and at its center was a small sail.

"You know, most people have no idea how to use these things." Klein said, gazing down at the slightly disappointing vessel before them.

"Well, lucky for you, _I_ do."

With that comment, the gem in Kirito's hand transitioned to green the second he approached the ship. A magic barrier seemed to dispel simultaneously and the ship's sail descended, ready to catch whatever wind was blowing through.

Kirito smirked and jumped onboard. His onyx eyes quickly looked up to meet an unfortunate site.

Klein shifted in his spot, one hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while his eyes roamed on anything _but_ the floating boat.

"Listen, uh, I've never-"

A quick fingerless-gloved hand shot up from the vessel and snagged Klein by the collar. The small boat shifted and bobbed to the added lump that was forcefully dragged onboard.

"What the hell!" Klein complained, rolling to his feet only to stumble and nearly fall overboard.

"Hey, you were going to make up some sad excuse about this being you're first time on a small boat. So, I _persuaded_ you." Kirito stated over his shoulder as he pushed away from the dock and set sail. The thin cloth immediately caught the light breeze and surged forward.

"What the? How light is this boat?" Klein exclaimed, falling unceremoniously again onto his back.

"It's made of durable but light wood cut from trees in Spriggan territory. They make some efficient boats. That's why I chose this one." The teen explained.

"Well, as long as it gets us to where we're going." Klein commented uneasily before sitting himself up and leaning against the back wall of the boat.

Similar to the samurai, Kirito propped himself against the front end and crossed his arms. "It will, but it'll be a while. About 45 minutes to an hour, depending on wind speed."

"At least we don't have to fly." Klein commented and rested his head back against the ship's light Spriggan wood.

"If we tried to fly, we'd probably only make it about one fourth of the way to the island before our flight time ran out. Then we'd have to swim until we can fly again." Kirito responded as he closed his eye and kept his chin tucked within his collar. Most of the water in Alfheim Online was inhabited. But for some reason, sea mob attacks have become more common ever since that island was discovered.

The wind kicked up and the tension in the sail went up drastically, pushing the small boat to its max speed.

"That doesn't sound so bad." The red-head offered, head shooting up in alert at the sudden whip of the sale in the wind.

"Yeah, tell that to the girls of the group."

Klein's face paled instantly, realizing just how dangerous that situation could get.

Kirito's smirk was hidden within his collar as he took a deep breath through his nose and continued, "If the sea monsters don't devour us, then the girls will certainly be the ones to murder us."

The samurai shook his hands in front of himself and tried to dispel the conversation, to no avail.

"I think you'd be the one to go under first. I heard the color red is a more favorable target than black." The teen clad in black continued, eyes still closed.

"Hey! I'm a fast swimmer when I wanna be!"

"You wouldn't get far once Sinon equips her bow. 200 meters out, and you'd still get shot in the back of the head."

"O-okay, then I'll just dive under the water!"

"As long as you can swim 300 meters away in one breath, that will actually work."

Klein ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he let out a disgruntled groan. "Yeah well, once I'm gone, what'll you do then huh? You're next!"

"I'll teleport."

The boat suddenly shifted greatly and rocked, threatening to overturn the entire vessel.

"Oh come on man, it's just hypothetical." Kirito complained as he opened up his eyes to expect Klein standing up in his spot with his weapon drawn. To his surprise, Klein was nowhere to be seen.

Kirito immediately shot up and grabbed hold of the mast to regain his balance, "Klein!?"

…

…

…

 _Nothing._

"Klein!" Kirito yelled out again over the waves.

…

Still no answer.

His onyx eyes switched to tracker mode and glowed green as he scanned the water around the boat. There were no life forms in the shallow depths. _Maybe he was dragged deeper than my scanners can reach._

No sooner after he finished that thought, the boat began to shake and rocked again. Kirito's eyes couldn't pick up any movement anywhere, but he knew something was there. His gut was screaming to draw his sword.

Just as he unsheathed his gleaming black blade, a massive shadow passed just beneath the wood. The sheer size of it dwarfed Kirito's little ship, making it look like an ember surrounded by a raging bon-fire.

 _Damn it Klein!_ Kirito cursed as he dropped into a fighting stance.

The shadow disappeared into the depths and everything went quiet for a few seconds. Nothing moved, nothing stirred, even the wind died down.

It was deathly silent.

…

Just as Kirito was about to dive into the water, a massive two story high five-headed Hydra exploded out of the water just a few feet from the bow. The small ship was thrown backward and nearly tipped from the sudden outburst.

Kirito looked the beast over, its five heads hissing in anger and just above its center head was a name.

«Depth Lurker»

Two green health bars generated beside the name and stacked on top of each other.

"Seriously, a mini-boss already?" Kiroto question, earning a blood curdling screech mixed with a roar in return.

The teen shrugged his shoulders and prepared for his first sword skill.

"Kirito!"

Just as Kirito was about to lunge, he heard his name tickle his ears. It was feint, but it was enough to confirm that Klein hasn't perished yet.

 _Yet._

"Give me back my scruffy friend you overgrown lizard!" Kirito roared as his black blade shined a bright orange.

The Hydra reared back and spewed flames from two of its heads. Kirito leapt into action and kicked off the boat. He immediately flexed the muscles in his back and the familiar feeling of his black wings generating allowed him to confidently evade the dual torrents of fire.

His cloaked figure flipped through the air then dove toward the sea beast. Kirito drove his sword down the center of one of the head's necks, slicing straight through the length of it and plunging the heated blade into the base of the Hydra.

Kirito made sure not to sever the head. Myths are just stories, but they still hold good lessons to live by.

The teen kicked off the beast's chest and flew through the air, weaving in and out of columns of fire.

 _One head down, 4 to go._

Kirito roared again as he swooped in, slicing down the length of another head and driving his sword down to its base. The beast screeched in pain and began to lash frantically in all directions, blowing fire everywhere it can.

In that moment, Kirito backed away and hovered at a safe distance. Every once in a while, he had to deflect a surge of fire with a sword skill, but nothing he couldn't handle.

The Hydra's top health bar lowered into the red and dissipated, leaving just one bar to go.

Kirito steeled his resolve and charged another sword skill. The length of his blade became shrouded in dark mist as he dove in again. He swooped below a feral bite of one of the heads and spun around a quick column of spewing fire. Dropping within the monster's guard, Kirito unleashed a devastating 9-hit combo of dark magic and strength. His body flipped and twirled in the air to fuel each strike and lead into the next.

Every time Kirito slashed through the Hydra's hard scales, the beast's health would drop and it would howl in agony. Soon after his combo ended, he plunged his blade deep into the monster's back and watched as the last of its health dropped into the red and soon vanished.

The Depth Lurker sprawled out and released a pained screech toward the dark sky above, then the whole monster shattered into polygons of different shades of blue and green.

Kirito swiped his blade through the air in a flourish then returned it into its sheath lying behind his right shoulder. He didn't get anything good from the mini-boss, so he quickly dismissed the message and looked around.

A smirk graced his lips as he noticed a figure clad in red plunge into the water from its place at the center of the dissipating polygons.

"How're you feeling, Klein?" Kirito asked as he hovered down to just above the water's surface.

"Y-you try getting eaten by a Hydra! Then come back and ask me again!" The man whined, his entire body drenched in the dark waters.

Kirito shrugged and extended his friend his hand, "Not likely."

Klein huffed but smirked, reaching up and taking the finger-less gloved hand and was soon hoisted out of the water. He took a second to release his wings but once he did, he was hovering on the same level the dark Spriggan was.

"So uh, where's our boat?" The Salamander asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Burned."

"Seriously?"

"Yep." Kirito sighed as he pointed to a dark mass of land a few kilometers out. "We're close enough to fly now, so we should be fine." The teen began flying in the direction of the new region.

Klein released a long sigh and flew forward, "Oh what the hell, not like we have a choice anyway."

He fell in line with Kirito and the two flew just above the dark waters below. They could still see the stars easily in the reflection that graced the water. It was a nice distraction to look at as they covered the distance within minutes.

The two friends finally reached their destination and hovered just above the shores of the desert covered land mass.

"What's that noise?" Klein asked the question they were both thinking.

He was right. There was some sort of continuous noise echoing off the rocks and sand dunes below. The landscape was surprisingly mountainous and rocky. Nearly all of it was covered in sand aside from the sandstone structures dotted randomly throughout the land.

"I don't know." Kirito admitted. It sounded almost like a mass of mobs gathering and releasing some sort of noisy call. It sounded like there were thousands of them, but not a single one of them could be seen.

"Alright, we're nearly out of our flight duration time so we need to touch down and find the nearest town." Kirito informed as he lowered himself to the ground.

The second his boots made contact with the sand, all sounds came to a stop. The once continuous noise died off in the same instant Kirito touched the ground.

Everything grew silent.

"What's with that kind of response?" Klein pondered as he touched down next to Kirito.

"It's because _we're_ here, that's why." The teen explained as he stepped forward. _It looks like this new region is going to get really interesting really fast. I can't wait._ Kirito decided, scanning the horizon as he walked deeper into the massive unknown island.

Klein groaned inwardly at how creepy his first impression of the island was and soon jogged to catch up with the indifferent swordsman.

"Alright, our main goal for tonight is to find a safe zone. We can use it as a place to meet up with the rest of us, then go exploring for quests or dungeons." Kirito spoke as he made his way toward the direction of a group of shadowy structures.

"You think that's a town up there?" Klein asked as he walked alongside him.

"What else could it be?"

"Well, it's not exactly lit up."

"Good point, but that's more reason to go and check it out."

"Touché." Klein admitted, eyes fixing themselves on the square like structures in the distance.

15 minutes later, the two of them set foot into the dark town. No lights were blazing, no torches lit, it was completely dark and quiet.

"Huh, it's like a ghost town." Klein commented as he passed by a closed door.

Kirito stayed silent, his dark eyes constantly flicking to anything creating noise. The haunting sounds of loose wood banging on stone echoed through the sandy streets as they moved cautiously toward the center of town.

Everything about this place seemed out of whack, but above all, abandoned. They eventually made it to the center of the village and came across a dust ridden sign. It was dead center in the middle of the road, its wood looked coarse and worn, and its lettering was faded. Kirito reached down and wiped the dust and sand away, revealing red streaked lettering. What it said, didn't sit well with either of them.

"Help. Overrun. Please save us." Kirito read out loud.

The wind whistled through the empty streets as they let Kirito's words linger in the air.

Suddenly, a pop-up message appeared just before the sign and caused Klein to stumble back in shock.

«New Quest: Save the Town»

Category: Survival

«Accept - Deny»

Kirito looked toward Klein's sprawled out form and chuckled slightly, "You up for a quick quest tonight?" He asked the man on the ground.

Klein's brown eyes met onyx as he lifted his head from the sandy clutches of the street, "Yeah sure, whatever man. Just ignore the friend lying on the ground in pain."

"You can't feel pain."

"Oh shut up!" Klein exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and slapped Kirito's back.

Kirito raised his hand and pressed 'Accept' on the message in front of him. The two of them looked up to see words appear just above the dried up fountain before them reading: Quest Accepted.

"Now what?"

The ground suddenly shook violently as the two whirled around to locate the noise. _It's coming from all directions!_ Kirito screamed in his head as he kept turning in his spot, trying to make out what was causing the noise in the darkness of the night.

"There!" Klein shouted, drawing Kirito's attention.

What he saw, wasn't very reassuring.

"Swords! Now!" Kirito commanded, drawing his Veldi's Eostryder and simultaneously equipping Excalibur. The golden sword digitalized in its sheath on his back, crossing the sheath of his primary.

Klein didn't miss a beat, he drew his silver Katana and propped his back against the black swordsman's.

They were surrounded.

Kirito was the first to swing his sword, carving his hardened black blade through the hard shell of a medium sized scorpion. It was a mixture of tan and black, and its body was the size of a large boar. Countless amounts of them scurried across the sandy streets, surrounding the two back to back fighters and hissing violently.

"Their shells are hard, try to focus on a weak point!" Kirito yelled over his shoulder as he kicked away the wounded insect and blocked a deadly slash from a serrated pincer.

"Got it!" Klein replied in confirmation, parrying a quick strike of one of their deadly tails away with his sword.

The two of them looked around frantically as more and more seemed to crawl out of the ground and surround them further.

 _20? No, maybe 30 by now. If we don't figure out how to kill these things, we're as good as dead._ Kirito thought as he plunged his golden blade into one of the numerous orange eyes of the Sand Scorpion in front of him.

The insect tried to scurry away and shield its other eyes, but Kirito caught on quick and immediately slashed out its other glowing eyes. The insect quickly collapsed in on itself and shattered into golden digital polygons.

"Their eyes!" Kirito informed as he pressed up against Klein's back again.

Klein nodded his head and plunged his own steel blade deep into the piercing orange gaze of one Sand Scorpion in front of him. It immediately stopped attacking and shattered just like Kirito's kill.

The dark teen pushed off Klein's back and flipped over the initial wave of scorpions, placing himself behind the front lines. "Try to take out as many as possible! Whatever you do, don't die!" Kirito called out, slashing away at the wave of enemies.

"Easy for you to say!" Klein retorted, noticing how quickly they re-surrounded Kirito and himself. With a growl, the samurai charged into the wall of insects and cleaved his shining Katana through the eyes of the ones he got close to.

"We can do this! Just hold out just a little longer!" Kirito exclaimed as he initiated sword skill after sword skill, alternating between Excalibur and Eostryder. He twirled in place after being entirely surrounded, making quick work of the scorpions that were scurrying around him and soon charged after more.

Klein grunted as he fended off his own army of insects. "Show off." He dashed forward with his own sword skill and slashed clean through two of the mobs moving to attack him. Quickly pivoting on his foot, he slammed a pincer into the air and slashed the orange orbs glowing before him before it could recover.

The two swordsmen we're constantly moving and dodging, making sure to keep themselves alive and at the same time devastating the enemies that surrounded them.

"Six left!" Klein yelled.

Kirito grunted in understanding and skidded to a stop beside his companion. Just as they were about to finish off the remains of the Sand Scorpions, a much louder screech stormed through the streets from the near-distance and shook the sand. A blast of vibrating air surged from the origin of the noise and caused the two fighters to falter slightly.

Before they could regain their balance, the remaining six scorpions screeched and scurried away in the direction of the noise.

 _This can't be good._ Kirito concluded as he watched the insects disappear around the corner of the town's outskirts.

"Hah, they ran away!" Klein cheered, moving to sheath his Katana.

Kirito swiftly placed his hand on Kleins shoulder, prompting him to stop and wait. The swordsman's onyx eyes closed as he focused on his ears, trying to listen to any kind of disruption or sound coming from the direction of the screech.

Immediately, Kirito's eyes shot open and he tackled Klein out of the way. The sand where they just stood imploded in a flurry of dust and the fountain that was behind them exploded into a cluster of flying rubble. A shadowy mass in the shape of a much, much larger scorpion shook itself free of any rocks and turned to glare at the two that we just standing up again.

"Oh." Klein remarked, his hair was quickly blown back by the power of a second screech coming from the beast in front of them.

"Another mini-boss." Kirito informed, readying his blades again.

«Shadow Crawler»

Two green bars appeared atop each other next to the boss's name like before. This one however had the powerful ability to spawn in minions.

"Careful, usually mini-bosses don't possess the ability to spawn in minions to fight for them." Kirito advised while running to the side to avoid a lunge from the Shadow Crawler's tail. That was when he noticed something off, something deathly unsettling.

The beast was armored. Its massive shell across its back was covered in rusted steel panels and it's pincers seemed to have a sharpened edge to them. The tail was reinforced with numerous metallic spikes that could deal massive piercing damage.

 _Something…or someone upgraded this thing._ Kirito leaped over a wide sweep of the boss's massive pincer and slammed away another tail strike.

"Let's see what we can do to this thing head on!" Kirito suggested as he charged forward.

Klein followed suit and began charging a gleaming red sword skill, "Right behind yah!"

The black swordsman parried away a strong pincer attack then spun off to the side, leaving an opening for the samurai, "Switch out!"

"HAAAAAH!" Klein yelled as his flew in and skewered one of the boss's glowing orange eyes with his shining Katana, "Take that you ugly bastard!"

The beast screeched in pain and slammed itself forward, throwing Klein away from its face and taking a heavy swipe at his thrown form.

"I got you!" Kirito leapt back in and slammed away the lethal pincer, "Let's try that one more time!"

"You got it!"

Kirito surged in again and swung his sword, a resounding clang was sent through his arm as he smashed away the lightning fast stinger and spun himself out of the way again, "Switch!" Kirito yelled. He watched as Klein began his charge, but in the middle of hit turn he caught sight of something. When he parried the Shadow Crawler's tail, the boss reared back a bit and revealed a huge weak point.

Klein slipped past Kirito and drove his blade into another one of the beast's eyes before backing off. The two combatants dug their boots into the sand and skidded to a stop a small distance away.

"I'll draw its attacks! You try to flank it and attack its legs, slow it down! I have a plan!"

Klein heard Kirito yell over the sound of heavy attacks rumbling the ground as he knocked away the massive stinger. "On it!" He yelled back, sliding under a sweep of a pincer and running his way around the shadowy beast.

He was quickly greeted with the sand around him shifting and vibrating. Within seconds, he was surrounded by little Sand Scorpions that attacked him without delay.

"No good! He just spawns minions to protect where he's unguarded!" Klein screamed as he bashed away one of the deadly insects and stabbed another.

Kirito's eyes hardened to the challenge as he dug his boots into the hard sand. The pincer of the Shadow Crawler soon pierced through the air and made a powerful lunge toward the boy. He quickly kicked off the ground and charged forward, sliding onto his knees to duck the blow. The sharpened appendage passed by dangerously close, barely grazing Kirito's black bangs as he passed beneath the attack. Behind him, the hard sand exploded into a flurry of chunks that pelted his back as he slid.

Once he was clear, he unleashed as many combos as he could directly into the soft underbelly of the boss. The massive damage sent the Shadow Crawler slamming into the surrounding buildings as it howled in pain, frantically swinging its pincers around in vain.

Critical hit after critical hit, Kirito mercilessly destroyed the beast's remains of its two health bars and dove out from beneath the monster. The entire Shadow Crawler shook violently as it shed its armored plates and shattered into countless golden polygons.

The swordsman clad in black rolled to his knees and breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of Klein finishing off the remaining Sand Scorpions sounded distant, but that soon stopped as well.

Right as the final scorpion was slain, some sort of victory music sounded out from above the fountain with the satisfying words of: Quest Completed!

Kirito looked in front of himself after taking a breather and noticed a message box hovering before him.

«Quest Reward: Safe Zone Conquered»

He looked at the message, a look of confusion gracing his features before casting his gaze up to Klein. The man clad in red had the same message hovering in front of his own tired form and a look of similar confusion plastered across his face.

Kirito looked back and confirmed the quest reward, soon followed by Klein as well. They both were pleasantly surprised by the massive XP boost they received from the survival quest.

The message box then disappeared from its place in Kirito's and Klein's points of view. Right after it concluded, the ground hummed in a steady vibration and the ruined fountain at the center of town began to shake.

"What the…" Klein muttered as he backed away.

"I've never seen something like this before." Kirito admitted, falling in line with his confused companion, but he had a pretty good idea as to what was going on.

The rubble strewn out across the plaza of the town began to stir and move. In moments, every shattered piece of stone rolled across the sand and merged itself with the rest of the rocks. Quickly, the fountain rebuilt itself piece by piece.

Once the last stone fell into place, the fountain burst with crystal blue water. That seemed to initiate a huge chain reaction. The sudden flow of water seemed to release some sort of magical force outward, like a wave of energy passing through the town. As the wave of magic passed down the streets and past the houses, everything it touched began to come to life.

The streets, no longer dark and dreary, glowed with light and shining sandstone. The dark empty windows lit up with varying golden hues, and the sounds of voices soon filled the silent air. Once the wave of energy reached the outskirts of the town, it seemed to crash into some sort of surrounding wall and surge upward. The wave encased the entire village in a shining powerful dome before dissipating from view.

High above the fountain, well up into the dark sky, three huge yellow words shined brightly as a beam of light was released from the reconstructed fountain to bath the letters in a magnificent glow.

«Safe Zone Secured»

And just like that, the town bustled to life.

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything from Sword Art Online, Gun Gale Online, or anything associated with the Light Novels. I have never read them either, so no spoilers _should_ be in this new fic. I wish I did own these creations though, that would be _awesome!_ Anyway, the only things I do own is the fabricated plot I came up with and the new characters that show up.**

 **Now, I know what you're thinking. Sword Art Online is amazing. And I agree with you. That's why I've picked up this new little side project. I plan to write this new fanfiction and I plan to finish it. Yes, that's right, I have an end in sight for this adventure. I can't wait to see what you guys think of it.**

 **I also know that I may or may not have chased away a few of you with the shocking news that occurred at the start of this fic. Asuna x Kirito, the _must have_ canon pairing, has come to an end. Yes, I know that's completely OOC for the two of them, but I don't see any real way to break them up. The way they feel for each other is too deep to pry them apart, aside from killing one of them off. I plan for this fic to be a Kirito x Sinon pairing. Because it's new, and I like new.**

 **For those of you who know me as an author or are familiar with my writing, this fic _will_ be packed full of _ACTION_. If you've read my XSRA fic, then you'd know that I like to do _over-the-top_ fight scenes and intense events. There will be _NO_ shortage of these in this story. I'll make sure of it.**

 **If you didn't notice, I am going to be using the character's _real_ names when in the _real_ world. Then while they're _in-game_ , I'll use their _in-game_ names. I hope there wasn't too much confusion with that. I'll also try my best to keep all the characters acting as they would in the Anime.**

 **Keep calm and let Kirito do the work, I hope you enjoy what's to come. Please, leave a _REVIEW_. I seriously appreciate any and all kinds of comments and constructive criticism you may have. I take _everything_ into account. That said, be sure to _favorite_ and _follow_ the story, be sure to look forward to chapter two.**

 **Cya XP**


	2. Labyrinth

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Labyrinth

«»

"Wow, you look beat." Suguha pointed out as she fried some eggs over the stove.

Kazuto sauntered over to the kitchen table, his eyes downcast and tired. He slowly pulled at one of the chairs weakly, maneuvering it out just enough for him to plop himself down onto it with a heavy sigh.

"You should see the other guy." He stated sarcastically then laid his arms out onto the table and rested his head on them.

"Wait, I thought you were just scouting. Did you run into some PK'ers?" Suguha asked worriedly over the sizzle of breakfast.

The boy made an uncharacteristic grunt before releasing a muffled chuckle, "I was talking about Klein. I had to save him, and then we both got attacked." Kazuto sighed, then taking a breath to relish in the mouth-watering aroma of Suguha's cooking.

 _Ah, sweet bliss. Nothing beats home cooking._ He thought as he slowly raised his head from his arms.

"Actually, it wasn't that bad. I'm sure Klein is pretty sore though. When everyone is together, we'll explain what happened." He stated nonchalantly before stretching his arms over his head.

"It _sounds_ like you weren't as careful as I told you to be." Suguha stated accusingly.

Kazuto looked over his shoulder to his 'sister', "I _was_ being careful. Just ask Klein. He's the one that got eaten by a Hydra, not me!"

"Alright, alright, I'll ask him about it in-game. Seriously, it looks like you guys had a rough night." She giggled as she lifted her frying pan and deftly transferred the cooked eggs over to two plates. "Maybe I should've come with you." She mumbled.

"If you were there, we probably wouldn't have had so much trouble. Actually, your buffs and Asuna's buffs would've been _extremely_ useful!" Kazuto stated. It was true, if they had healing and strength buffs, not to mention SP regeneration. He could've used more sword skills and been able to deal with the mass of enemies much more efficiently.

The clatter of plates and silverware pulled Kazuto's strategic mind out of his imagination's iron grip and convinced him of what he desired.

Food.

* * *

Alfheim Online was as beautiful as ever. It was morning, the sun was shining. The crystal water of the ocean sparkled beneath the wood of the large sailing ship that pushed through its waves effortlessly. A light breeze passed over the deck, sending heavenly shivers down its resident's spines.

"Isn't it amazing?!" Leafa exclaimed, standing at the bow of the ship and extending her arms. Her blonde hair flowed behind her in its signature ponytail as it caught the wind, and her green Sylph armor whipped around constantly in the consistent breeze.

"Yeah, ever since they added the sailing mechanic, people have been able to get around to the outer islands so much easier." Asuna sighed, her long blue hair in a state of never ending movement as she stood at the ship's railing.

"S-speak, for yourself. I can't hear a thing!" Silica yelled over the rushing wind in her Cait Sith ears. The brown appendage flicked and twitched in the whipping air and only caused her to hold onto Pina even tighter. The conjured pet mewled at the relaxing feeling of the massaging winds.

"Oh, come on Silica. It's not that bad, I mean just look at Sinon!" Liz stated, placing her hand on Silica's head, right between the ears. The sudden action caused the girl to jump slightly from the unexpected contact.

Sinon's own powder light blue hair waved around in the wind as she leaned against the central mast, her own furry Cait Sith ears comfortably flickering atop her head. Her tail flicked back and forth lazily as she crossed her arms over her green coat, eyes closed.

"I'm pretty sure she's inhuman!" Silica complained, resisting the urge to slap Liz's hand away.

"Maybe she's just enjoying it, like the rest of us." Liz offered, her own pink hair riffling in the wind.

Asuna's and Leafa's giggling in the background brought a blush to the young beast tamer's face.

The two girls up front decided to take a break from top deck and bring everyone down to the lower deck. "Come on Silica, we can spend some time out of the wind for a bit so we can talk." Asuna offered as she walked by and opened the door.

"Y-yeah, sure." The idol responded as she turned around and walked inside. The usual constant howl of wind gone in an instant as everyone made their way inside.

Leafa walked by Sinon, noticing that she still had her eyes closed and arms crossed. No sign of planned movement at all.

"Hey, Sinon?" She asked.

No response.

"Sinon?" Leafa continued.

Still nothing.

Taking the most drastic of measure, Leafa reached out and poked the blue-net's cheek. A daring move she learned from her brother, and somehow it always works.

Sinon's bright blue reflective eyes snapped open at the light touch and stared confusingly at her attacker.

"S-sorry, but we all went inside. If you wanna come." Leafa said shyly.

The archer took a second to register Leafa's words, then after a few moments she gave a small smile, "Oh, okay. I guess I got lost in thought." Sinon replied sheepishly.

Leafa beamed her own smile before turning around and walking into the door, soon followed by Sinon.

She closed the door behind her and let the subtle torch lamps light up the staircase. It was a little cramped, but they didn't want to spend too much money on an expensive ship. She fixed the loose strands of hair that the wind misplaced before making her way down the stairs. The wood of the ship was of a lighter shade, making the place seem brighter than it actually was.

Sinon reached the bottom of the wooden staircase and turned around to join the others at the circular table under the central mast.

"What do you think we'll find out there?"Asuna asked curiously.

"It's completely undiscovered. My scans can't pick anything up." A soft, lighter voice filled the room. Sinon noticed a small pink fairy sitting on the table in front of Asuna.

 _I still don't understand much about that little girl. But one thing's for sure, she's not an ordinary Navigation Pixie._ Sinon commented in her head as she sat down next to the healer.

"So, no one has actually been on the island yet?" Liz asked from her spot beside Silica.

"I thought someone already discovered it, that's how we found out about it." Leafa commented.

Sinon hummed in thought for a second before realizing something, "You're right. We found out about it through an information broker. She told us that something new came up in the west and that we were the first she's told about it." She informed.

Asuna nodded and turned to Sinon, "But that still doesn't explain how she knew about it."

"Good point. Someone would have had to have seen the island, but not explore it. How come it hasn't hit the forums yet?" Leafa asked the group.

"I checked the forums this morning. There's still no topic about the new island." Silica commented.

"Girls. This is good. That means we have the island to ourselves for a little while. We can do what we want up until more players hear about it." Liz chipped in.

Leafa shook her head at the comment, "I don't think that island is built for just one party group. If anything, we may actually _need_ more players to help clear it."

"Well, when that time comes. We'll spread the word about the new land." Asuna offered, clasping her hands loosely together in front of herself. "What do you think Yui? Do you think we can handle that big island by ourselves?"

Yui looked up at the healer before humming in thought, calculations ran through her AI programming but based off of limited numbers, it was hard to say. "I don't know. I need more information on the island. But, I'm sure Daddy can kill anything in his path if it means protecting everyone!" She cheered, her small fairy wings buzzing in excitement.

"Yeah, I guess we do have Kirito. If one of us is in trouble, I don't think anything will stop him from saving us." Sinon agreed, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Back in Gun Gale Online, Kirito did everything he could to keep her safe. And in the end, it worked, even after the BoB concluded. He still ran in and risked his own life to protect her.

"Awe, little Sinon is blushing." Liz teased as she poked Sinon's cheek, suddenly appearing next to her chair.

"N-no! I-I was just, t-thinking about-" She stuttered and trailed off, trying to process something to say.

"Say no more. We all know you think about Kirito a lot." Liz continued and draped her arms over Sinon's shoulders from behind.

Asuna, Yui, and Silica giggled in the background as Sinon's face adorned a few more shades of red. Her eyes flicking back and forth between everyone in a silent plea for help.

"How about this…" Liz started, causing Sinon's eyes to widen in fear of more teasing. To her relief, Liz stepped away and back to her own chair. "…why don't we play a little game. A simple bet, hmmm?" She asked the group.

"Depends what it is." Asuna stated neutrally.

"I-I think a game sounds fun, right about now." Silica admitted, idly petting Pina in her lap.

Liz's smirk widened as she turned to look at Sinon. The Cait Sith responded with a confused but guarded gaze, wondering just what Liz is up to.

Sinon's guard shattered the second Liz sent her a suggestive wink and stated the rules of the game, "When we get to the island, the first one Kirito risks himself to protect gets to ask him out for a solo hunt. But no one can throw themselves into danger, it has to be entirely Kirito's decision." She offered with an amused smile.

"I think I'll just enjoy the show." Asuna stated with a smile, deciding to sit this one out.

Liz nodded in understanding and turned to look at the rest of the group, "Hmm, then that just leaves Silica, Sinon, and me."

"H-hey, I never agreed to this!" Sinon exclaimed.

* * *

"Do you think they ran into any Depth Lurkers?" Klein asked absently.

"No, not in a ship that size." Kirito responded.

The two swordsmen sat on the roof of one of the houses at the edge of town. Both of them relaxing in the morning sun and waiting for the girls to arrive.

"Besides, I think they're only attracted to the color red." The teen added in a neutral voice.

Klein grunted lazily and fell onto his back, "You know what, I think I'll just ignore you for now." The samurai decided as he sprawled his arms out and rested one of them over his eyes.

Kirito stretched his arms and cracked his fingers, "Suit yourself, I guess I don't need to tell you what I found out."

Klein's eyebrows furrowed under his arm as he inwardly groaned. "Okay! What did you find out?!" He exclaimed, sitting himself up.

"I'll tell you when the girls get here."

"Screw you too!" The samurai retorted, "Leading me on like that just to drop a crate of bricks on me. Sheesh, that's harsh." He complained, throwing himself onto his back again.

Kirito smirked and stood up, noticing the approaching ship in the far distance. He stepped over to Klein and tapped the man's side with his boot, "Come on man, let's go. Ship's here."

A strained groan emanated from the limp red object on the ground beneath Kirito.

"Go on without me, leave me behind. Save yourself." Klein mumbled unmoving.

 _Like hell I'd ever leave you behind._ Kirito thought as he grabbed the Salamander by his robe and yanked him to his feet. With no further warning, he kicked the man over the edge of the roof.

"On your wings, come on! We need to meet up with the others and bring them to town. It'll be less boring than sitting here and waiting for them to get here like we planned." Kirito explained as he leapt off after his falling friend.

"Where's a pillow when I need one." Klein sighed as he released his wings.

"What did you say? I didn't catch that."

"I said, let's go then." Klein responded before surging forward on his wings, his own smirk growing on his features.

Kirito caught up to the Salamander easily and fell in line beside him.

"Are you actually going to land properly this time, or are you going to show off again?" Klein asked over the wind.

"Of course I'll land properly this time. Who do you think I am?" Kirito responded innocently.

His words did nothing but fuel Klein's original assumption.

Klein shook his head and surged forward again, doubling his speed. Kirito followed in an instant, keeping up with him and nearly passing him as well. The two of them raced their way over the dunes of the desert and stormed their way over to the small party of players at its shore line.

In a few minutes, they were approaching the girls from high up in the sky.

"I guess I'll see you at the bottom." Klein stated as he lowered himself downward, bringing himself down to the ground moments after.

"Hey, girls!" He called out as his boots met with the sandy ground.

"Klein! How'd the scouting go?" Leafa exclaimed, giving the samurai a big wave from where she stood in the group.

Klein rolled his shoulders and gave the girls a proud smile, "Nothing too big. We just destroyed 2 mini-bosses and 40 minions." He stated as nonchalantly as possible, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What?! You did all of that in a scouting mission last night?" Sinon asked disbelievingly.

"Of course not, he's just pulling your leg. I bet nothing happened." Liz said, crossing her arms and shifting her stance.

Klein ran a hand through his hair and looked up, "Man, you girls never believe me. Just ask Kirito then. He's right there anyway."

Right on time, a blur of black dropped from the sky like a meteor and slammed into the sand at the center of the group. A burst of dust kicked up and shrouded his body for a few seconds. Before long, a black silhouette of Kirito's crouched form and extended wings slowly became visible in the dissipating cloud of sand.

"Right on time, as per freaking usual." Klein commented, stepping forward and slapping Kirito on the back.

"Does he usually do this?" Sinon asked hesitantly, looking down at the Spriggan still crouching.

"Yeah, he hasn't figured out how to land properly yet." Leafa laughed.

"Gee, thanks." Kirito muttered as he finally stood up and let his wings fade away. He dusted the remnants of sand off his black clothes before giving the group a small smile, "You girls are not going to _believe_ what Klein and I went through to secure _that_ town." He stated, pointing in the direction of the box-like buildings.

"Secure?" Asuna asked in confusion.

"Yeah, originally that town was completely abandoned and over run. It looked like a ghost town. When we reached its center, we had to beat a survival quest and clear the town of mobs. After that, we were able to secure the town and earn a safe zone. That's where Klein and I stayed last night." The teen clad in black explained.

His explanation was quickly followed by Yui's voice, "Now that I'm here, I am picking up more enemy signatures in the immediate area. But they all seem to be underground at varying levels. And that town seems to be the only safe zone in the area, so it makes sense that there may be others that need to be secured too." She chipped in from her spot on top of Asuna's shoulder, easily catching her Daddy's attention.

"H-hey, Yui." Kirito greeted.

Yui's smile brightened as she transferred herself over to Kirito's avatar, "Daddy!"

"Awe, it's good to see you too." Kirito responded, placing his finger on Yui's head and giving her an affectionate pat.

Klein cleared his throat and placed a hand on the teen's other shoulder, "Yeah, I don't quite understand it either. But that's the gist of what we're up against." He added, dispersing a few looks of confusion.

"I thought he was going to be more awkward, you know, since you're here." Leafa whispered to Asuna, earning an earnest smile from the Undine.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. We handled things between us, and besides he's having fun. That makes me happy." Asuna whispered back, watching as Kirito goofed around with Klein.

The two were about to draw their swords when Sinon stepped between the two, "Alright, I thought we were here to clear a few dungeons." She said with a laugh, her hand resting on her bow.

Kirito let his hand fall from the hilt of his blade and placed it on his hip, "Yup, that's the plan. So we should probably start heading to town and load up on restoration items. Ever since I stepped foot on this island, I've noticed a significant increase in mob agro and mini-boss spawns." He warned as he addressed the rest of the party.

"Wow, so this place is pretty dangerous huh?" Sinon replied, looking around at the barren desert.

"Yeah, although I think most of the mobs here are nocturnal. I haven't been here during the day yet so I don't know." Kirito replied.

Liz stepped forward and pushed Kirito forward by the shoulders, nudging him in the direction of town, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, well we're all here now. So let's stock up and head out." She stated, giving Sinon a sly smile.

Weirdly enough, Sinon felt a little irritated by that small gesture and flicked her tail in mild aggravation. _I was unfairly pulled into this game, so why am I getting jeal-…jealous?_ She thought with a sigh.

"Sheesh, Liz is eager. Something happen?" Klein asked, looked between the remaining three girls.

Asuna giggled and walked past Sinon, "I wouldn't call it… _something._ " She teased as she caught up to Kirito and Liz.

Brown eyes flicked around for a second before Klein's survival instincts kicked in, "Hmm, you know what. Forget I said anything." He stated as he followed Asuna to the group ahead, deciding to keep to himself. Leafa giggled quietly as she silently followed Klein over to the rest of the group.

"Hey, don't forget. I'm playing too!" Silica exclaimed quietly, pulling on the remaining girl's arm and taking her to the rest. Sinon forced back her blush from Asuna's tease and let herself be pulled along by the smaller girl. Her eyes followed Pina as it flew ahead of its master and hovered at Kirito's side.

Yui quickly jumped onto the pets back with a shout of glee and flew ahead of everyone.

Sinon caught a glance Kirito sent back to her and noticed him giving her a warm smile. She looked at him for a few seconds before smiling back and giving him a small wave.

 _Just what are they talking about?_ She asked herself as Silica finally pulled her up close enough to listen.

"Yeah, now that you girls are here we can probably find and clear a dungeon pretty easily. I mean, we've got Asuna's buffs and healing, tons of attack power, and our very own archer." Kirito said, looking back over his shoulder toward Sinon.

The loose sand around them wisped in the wind as the small party made their way toward the only secured town. Blistering heat wasn't much of a problem, its existence was only ignored as the group pushed forward.

"Alright, stock up. I think we should be fine if we all buy a handful of healing potions and SP regen crystals. Asuna, you might need a few extra mana potions as well." Kirito advised as they stepped foot into the sandy town.

The streets were surprisingly filled with people. Each NPC dressed like they've lived in the desert for all their lives. The street vendors wore happy smirks, each one happily waving to Kirito and Klein as the two walked through town. Varying degrees of excited kids ran around the two swordsmen as they walked, most of them screaming and others just chanting their names.

"What's with them?" Sinon asked, noticing the majority of the town fawning over the two guys of the group.

Kirito gave a sheepish laugh and resisted the kids tugging on his sleeves, "Y-yeah, ummmm…about that. Ever since we saved the town, they've been very…fond of us. So we get all kinds of discounts and attention." He sighed, looking around at the bustling streets.

Klein couldn't be happier. A silent tear streamed down his cheek as a smile plastered his lips, "It's beautiful, it really is." He stated in some sort of blissful reminiscent voice.

A swift kick to the back later and he was out of it. "Well, since you're the ones with the discounts, how 'bout you two just buy everything for us? Hmmm?" Leafa pondered over Klein's downed body.

The red Salamander lay there for a second, wondering when life turned so unfair.

"Wait, you can't be serious?!" Kirito exclaimed.

"Totally serious, right girls?" Leafa retorted. And to Kirito's and Klein's painful regret, the rest of the girls nodded.

"Don't worry, we'll pay for what you buy for us." Sinon added as she opened up her menu and transferred some of her own Yrd over to Kirito in a trade.

Kirito still groaned a complaint and muttered something about it still being unfair. But he couldn't do anything about it. They were right, since Klein and he were the ones with the less expensive prices, it makes sense that they should buy everything. After gathering everyone's Yrd, he trudged off and snagged Klein by the front of the armor, pulling the samurai with him into the depths of the market.

30 painstaking minutes of the two men's lives later, they finally bought and distributed everything amongst the party members.

"See? That wasn't so hard. And we saved a lot thanks to you two." Asuna commented.

"Y-yeah, thank you." Silica chipped in quietly. Her simple statement made the rest of the girls give their thanks too.

Somehow, that made everything better.

"Help!"

A small, frightened voice pierced through the crowded streets in a shrill yell. The group instantly turned to locate the noise, but no one could make out who was yelling.

"Somebody? Please, help me!"

Kirito snapped into action and sprinted off into the crowd. He disappeared, weaving in and out of the walking NPCs and skidded to a stop at the corner of the street. The rest of the group followed soon after, all of them struggling to get through but eventually caught up to the swordsman.

"P-please, m-my sister. S-she's-" A small child, about the age of 6 choked out his words through tears and hyperventilated breaths. Kirito crouched down in front of the boy, bringing himself to eye level and placing his hand on the young one's head.

"It's alright, just take a breath. We're here to help." He stated warmly, giving the child a warm smile.

The kid sniffled and calmed down slightly, his tears coming to a slow. "I-it's my sister. We were playing in the maze, and s-she got lost. I couldn't find her, s-so I ran back here as fast as I could. Please! You have to save her! She's in there, all alone!" He cried out, reaching forward and clinging onto Kirito tightly.

«Quest: The Labyrinth»

Type: Search and Rescue

«Accept - Deny»

Kirito's onyx eyes scanned over the message hovering in front of him. _It's a new quest, and the location is nearby. We might as well complete it to get ourselves more familiar with the land._ He thought as he looked back at the rest of his party.

"He looks like he's telling the truth." Asuna sighed, giving him her approval.

Leafa walked up and placed her own hand on the boy's back, "We can't just leave, we should help him and find his sister."

"We might as well give it a go. There's no sense in turning down the quest." Sinon added.

Yui flew over and floated off Pina to examine the quest message, her eyes scrutinizing the ingrained details hidden within it. "Daddy, the difficulty of the quest is unknown. I don't know why, but I'm getting the feeling that this won't be as easy as a simple Search and Rescue."

Kirito nodded in understanding and looked to Klein for support.

"Hey, you know me. I'd accept this quest in a heartbeat." The samurai stated knowingly.

With everything considered, especially Yui's analysis, Kirito reached forward and pressed the accept button. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The kid cheered, tears streaming down his face as he backed away slightly. "The maze we play at is east of town, please bring back my sister! She's the only family I have left."

"Well, since you put it like that…" Kirito started as he stood up, "…let's go." He stated firmly, looking to the east.

Yui made her way into his chest pocket right before he extended his wings and powerfully threw himself into the air, the initial leap sent a surge of air bursting below his feet to push back the sand.

"Dramatic." Sinon stated as she extended her own wings and took flight.

"You have no idea." Asuna commented as she followed the Cait Sith into the air, her flight was quickly followed by Leafa. She fell in line alongside Asuna as they followed Kirito.

Silica, Liz and Klein followed behind the three in front of them, their formation pretty much looking like a cluster with Kirito in the lead.

Yui poked her head out of Kirito's pocket and scanned the world below them. She found a stone structure just 2 kilometers ahead of them, made almost entirely out of chiseled sandstone. It looked like a simple tower, but her scans picked up a vast tunnel system below the base of the stones. It was huge, and spanned out to a little over a kilometer in diameter, all of it completely underground.

"Daddy, there! That's the entrance to the Labyrinth!" The Navigation Pixie called out over the rushing winds.

Kirito didn't miss a beat, he dove down into a speedy dive and streamed his way to the tower's doorway. He glided to a stop this time, in favor of his new passenger in his pocket, and landed on the rough sands just in front of the dark entry way.

6 more pairs of feet landed behind him, each one varying in sound as they touched down.

"Are you sure this is it?" Liz asked, eyeing the small tower in front of them.

"The maze's tunnel system is entirely underground. This is the entrance." Yui reassured.

"I'm pretty sure I've heard stories about the Labyrinth, like an urban myth or something." Silica commented from the back of the group.

Klein patted her shoulder and looked forward toward Kirito, "I'll take the caboose. Nothing's going to sneak up on us, I'll make sure of it." He stated as he rested his hand on the hilt of his Katana.

"Thanks Klein, I guess I'll take the lead then." Kirito suggested.

He then turned and raised his sword. Golden words of magic circled him soon after and aligned into place in front of his body as he spoke, 8 words stacked up in front of Kirito before he finished his spell and activated the magic.

Everyone in the group was illuminated in a flow of illusion magic, after a few seconds the visual effects dissipated and the members of the group were all granted the buff of Night Vision.

"His night vision is surprisingly useful. Too bad he doesn't have any actually attack spells." Leafa commented, moving to stand behind Liz.

"Alright, stick together, no one gets left behind. We all get out of this alive." Kirito informed calmly before turning around and entering the stone structure, completely ignoring his sister's blunt insult.

Sinon followed close behind the swordsman, her position was soon followed by Asuna. Behind her was Silica, she preferred the middle of the group with Asuna. Those two were the ones you wanted to keep safe. Silica being the beast tamer, she could use support magic and also send Pina in to heal the members of the group. That doesn't stop her from using her dual daggers though.

Asuna was the healer of the group. She's the rock that holds everyone together. Without her, the rest of the party would probably perish. However, her own status of the Berserk Healer has become well known throughout ALO. She not only is a master of magic, but her skill with a blade is as sharp as her determination when it comes to combat.

Behind Silica, walked Liz the mace wielder. She was the black smith of the group. If someone needed a weapon tune up or upgrade, she was the one to do it. Her blacksmithing skills were excellent, but her attack abilities could use a little work. Leafa followed behind the mace wielder, her own Katana resting at her hip. She may not seem like it, but she's an excellent fighter thanks to her years of Kendo practice and competitions. Then there was Klein. He walked at the back of the group. His job is to make sure no one gets lost, or worst, gets picked off from behind. He watches the group's back and protects them from harm, as well as warn them if trouble came up.

The coarse wooded stairs creaked and screeched as the line of party members descended into the depths of the Labyrinth. Everything was dark, dry and riddled with dust. It was stuffy and cramped as well. There was no room for them to group up in any formation other than a straight line.

Eventually, Kirito's dark eyes caught sight of a flickering glow toward the bottom of the stairs. It waved in and out of different brightness levels, signifying only one thing.

A torch.

His black boots struck stone as he finally reached the bottom of the winding staircase. The darkness of the tower was replaced with the glowing light of flaming torches along the walls. The tunnel he walked into wasn't as cramped as the staircase, but it still didn't leave room to cluster into a group formation either. Down the corridor, the torches were spread out and lit up the extension of the stone hallway, giving it an endless feel. Numerous openings in the walls appeared on both sides of the tunnel, there was no pattern to them as his gaze finally struck a dead end at the other end of the first corridor.

"Alright, here goes nothing. If anyone hears the lost girl, speak up. We can't afford to have anyone run off and get lost too." Kirito spoke quietly. His lowered tone echoed off the stone walls and carried itself to the end of the tunnel, despite it only being above a whisper.

"Got it. Everyone, stick together. Klein, don't let anything sneak up on us. I get the feeling we're not alone in here, and I'm not talking about the girl." Sinon responded.

"Aye, you can count on me captain." Klein responded from the back of the group.

Sinon drew her bow and let her ears tune in the surroundings. If something moved, she was going to be the first to hear of it. Her action persuaded the rest of the group to draw weapons as well. Kirito drew his Eostryder from his back, followed by Asuna and her Rapier hybrid blade. Silica and Liz drew weapons in synchronizations. The Cait Sith's daggers glimmered in the light of the torches as Liz's small mace and shield only glistened with an orange gleam. Klein's Katana was drawn silently, it's reflective silver steel reflected a fiery glow as he kept his eyes and ears roaming.

"Daddy, I'm not getting any NPC signatures from the tunnel systems. I think the walls are masking my scans somehow." Yui spoke quietly up to Kirito.

"That's fine, we'll find her." He responded confidently and began moving forward.

Yui and Kirito kept track of every turn they made. Every corner they rounded sent them deeper into the maze of stone walls, their echoing footsteps in the silence was the only sound resonating off the walls as the group progressed forward. No enemies have come up yet, which was unsettling to say the least.

If this place was a dungeon, it would've been swarming with mobs. But it was deathly silent. The only living thing that they've noticed was themselves in the never ending tunnels of the maze.

Each member's shadow danced across the wall as they walked, the dark silhouettes moving in rhythm to the torches that lit up the walls. Their subtle flames were a good distraction to watch as everyone's eyes roamed around.

Suddenly, Kirito stopped abruptly in his tracks and caused Sinon to bump into him.

"H-hey, what's-"

Kirito spun on his heel and placed his finger against her lips, silencing her retort and eyeing the group behind them. His suspicions were dead on. He began to sense something wrong, and for a few minutes he thought it was only his nerves playing with him. But no, his ears were accurate when he began to hear only 6 sets of footsteps behind him.

They entered with 7 people.

"Leafa, where's Klein?" He asked carefully, keeping his voice quiet and low.

Leafa's eyes widened and she turned around. Her sharp gasp filled the silent chamber as her eyes stared town an empty corridor.

"H-he…he was right behind me. I-I, I don't know where he went." She whispered, worry lacing her words.

"Do you think he got lost?" Silica asked, wondering if her fears were simply her imagination.

Her words lingered in the air. The only sound was the flickering flames of the torches and the ragged breathing coming from some of the members of the group.

Kirito dropped his hand from Sinon's face, her slight blush invisible in the dim light of the corridors.

"No, I don't think he got lost." Kirito finally spoke up, his gaze turning back in front of him. He scanned the tunnel before him and its branches that winded in a maze like manor.

Yui stayed silent, nothing was making sense. She couldn't pick up anyone's location anymore. It was like they weren't even there in the first place, but they were. Something in the walls was blocking her ability to navigate and sense enemies or allies. "I-I can't pick him up on the map, no one is showing up anymore." Yui whispered hesitantly.

Kirito took a deep breath and began moving forward again, "It'll be impossible to find Klein now. The best thing we can do is move on. Leafa, are you going to be fine back there?" He stated over his shoulder.

…

…

…

His eyes widened as he stopped again and whirled around.

Leafa was gone…

…

…and so were Silica and Liz.

Silence settled on the remaining three as they stared behind them and down the empty corridor.

"I didn't hear a thing." Sinon whispered breathlessly.

Only three of them were left. The cause of the others disappearing was completely unknown, but there was only one thing Kirito concluded from what just happened.

The only thing they can do now.

"RUN!" He yelled, his voice shaking the walls as he stepped to the side. "Sinon, go! Take the lead, I'll watch from the back."

Sinon nodded and took off at full sprint down the tunnel. Asuna ran past Kirito and followed Sinon's lead seamlessly. Lastly, Kirito fell in line behind the two girls and gripped his black longsword tighter. Whatever it is that's dragging his teammates off, he'll stop it.

He won't let this thing beat them.

They charged down the corridors, making hasty turns and winding themselves deeper into the depths of the maze's system. Any hope of backtracking was lost as they sprinted forward.

Their shadows flickered alongside them on the walls, mirroring their movements and running alongside each member.

 _Wait._ Kirito's eyes hardened as he stared forward, watching carefully for anything he could pick up on. Anything at all to pinpoint something, any suspicion, even the smallest movement would be enough.

 _The shadows, something seems off…..OH SHI-_ His eyes widened as he noticed Asuna's shadow falter for a moment when mimicking the owner's movements.

"ASUNA!" He called out, but it was too late. The shadow in the center of the group leapt out of the wall and tackled the girl's body. The once flat silhouette took a full shaded form of Asuna. Its dive out of the wall caught Asuna off guard and threw them both tumbling to the side.

"NO!" Kirito yelled as he charged forward, sword drawn. As fast as the shadow appeared, it disappeared instantly after and dragged Asuna into the opposite wall. They both vanished in a pool of blackness before that dissipated moments later.

Sinon skidded to a stop and notched an arrow. Without missing a beat, she released the magic shot and launched it into her shadow in the wall. The flat darkness dispersed to avoid impact and scattered across the stones of the tunnel. Kirito followed up and plunged his blade into his own shadow on the wall, causing it to disperse as well.

"We need to find out where those things are taking our friends." Kirito stated as he moved and stood beside the only other member of the party left.

"What are they? I've never seen anything like them before." Sinon replied, pressing her back against the Spriggan's.

"They look like shadows, but I didn't catch any name when that one took Asuna." Kirito informed, he quickly tapped his pocket for Yui's input but received a quiet whimper.

"I can't pick up on anything in this place. Please, you have to get everyone back and get out of here." Yui's muffled voice could be heard coming from Kirito's chest pocket.

He sighed and cast his glance down the corridor. "Looks like our best asset is out of the game, It's up to us now."

Sinon notched another arrow and nodded her head, "Just like old times, partner."

Kirito smirked and charged a sword skill, his gut-instincts going rampant, "Yeah…let's do this, just like we did back in GGO."

His comment brought a small smile to Sinon's lips as her eyes locked onto a quickly approaching shadow on the wall. "I got one."

"Same here." Kirito replied instantly, eyeing his own shadow rapidly approaching form his direction. "Sinon?" He asked, seriousness filling his voice.

Sinon was a little shocked by the tone and pressed up against his back, letting him know she was listening.

"Listen, if you get taken. I need you to yell my name, as loud as you can. Wherever you are, I'll find you. Just, don't stop yelling until I do." He spoke through a regretful and worried tone.

Bright blue eyes widened for a second before a slight blush dusted Sinon's cheeks, "Y-yeah, of course."

Right as her words left her mouth, a shadow lunged from the wall intent on dragging her to the depths of where it came from. She released a breath and let her arrow fly. The glowing blue projectile pierced through the air and embedded itself in the shadow's shoulder, throwing the monster to the ground from the force.

«Forsaken Shadow»

Kirito read the name floating over the shadow's head as he slashed across its upper body.

"I can't tell what level they are!" He yelled over his shoulder as he kicked away the black beast in front of him. The shadow soon morphed into a shaded version of Kirito's character model and drew a sword.

An exact replica of Kirito's Veldi's Eostryder.

"They can mimic!" Sinon's voice shouted out from behind him.

He grunted in understanding and lunged forward, clashing swords with his shadow self in front of him, "Noticed."

The two swordsmen pushed off of each other and clashed again, sending a flurry of strikes at each other. The clang resounding off the walls rattled the stones and shook the ground, each attack sent vibrations through the tunnel system.

"They can match our fighting styles, how is that possible?" Kirito called out.

Sinon was fighting her own battle against her equal. The shadow in front of herself had a bow in its hand and was releasing arrows at the exact same intervals as Sinon was. The glowing black arrows collided with her blue ones midway between the two, sending their own shockwaves off the walls and ceiling.

"I don't know, but we can't win like this!" She responded, her breathing getting heavier.

Kirito kicked away the shadow version of him and turned around, "Sinon! Switch with me!"

Sinon caught on and leapt backwards, bringing herself out of the way and over to combat Kirito's Forsaken.

The teen slipped past Sinon's flying form and surged forward, plunging his blade deep into the new shadow in front of him. He sighed in relief as the monster shattered into numerous golden polygons and dispersed into the stilled air of the tunnel.

"That was easy." He stated, catching his breath and dismissing the loot message that popped up in front of him. _Wait, that was too easy._ Fear took a solid hold of his heart as he turned around. Hesitantly, he let his eyes look down the tunnel behind him. _That shadow, it was a distraction!_

He gazed down the now empty corridor.

Sinon was gone.

* * *

Moments earlier, Sinon let Kirito pass her as she turned around to face off with her own opponent. What she didn't expect was it to leap off the wall and collide with her before she could react. The Forsaken Kirito grabbed her in the air and kicked off the stone, throwing both of them deep into the opposite wall.

Everything went black for a few moments as Sinon felt herself phase into the stones. Her body felt weightless for a second, almost as if she was flying. But more like falling through some sort of heavier, more resistant air.

Before she knew it, she was thrown out of the darkness and into a large icy cavern. The ceiling was riddled with crystalized ice spikes and the walls were covered in smooth frozen walls. Every once in a while, there would be a gap of melted ice that revealed the sandstone walls that made up the maze.

"Sinon!" A strained voice called out, barely above a whisper.

Her bright blue eyes snapped to the voice in the center of the room. Leafa was on the ground, health deep in the red and almost completely depleted. She was surrounded by the rest of the party, all missing members accounted for. But every single one of them was in the same state as Leafa was, damaged to the point of near death.

"Ah, there she is. I'm glad you can make it, little Cait Sith." A new voice echoed off the walls.

Sinon looked across, past her group of downed friends and noticed a massive throne of black stone positioned against the opposite wall on a raised platform. Icy stairs lay out over the pathway to reach him.

Sitting on the throne was a large, bulky shadow. The shaded figure took the shape of a king three times the size of a normal ALO avatar, and from the looks of it, a dark power emanated from his body. On his back was a massive black bow shrouded in dark mist, and his red eyes did nothing but send cold shivers down Sinon's spine.

"W-who are you!" She called out, notching a blue tipped arrow onto her bow.

"Oh, where are my manners…" The king stood up and made a wide gesture with his arms, "I am the Taken King! It is a pleasure to meet you. Now, what are you doing trespassing in _my_ kingdom? _My_ Labyrinth?" He asked, his voice bellowing and bouncing off the walls. Three health bars stacked on top of each other right next to his name.

«The Taken King»

 _You're kingdom?_ Sinon repeated in her head. She took notice of the pained looks in her friends' eyes and decided to take action. Feeling the tension in her bow as she drew back the arrow, her breath slowed as she focused.

The Taken King smirked at Sinon's action and raised his hands in front of himself. He watched as Sinon released her breath and fired her arrow, sending it hurtling through the air and straight for the king's head.

He didn't even flinch when he snatched the small arrow out of the air and crushed it in his fist.

"Awe, and I was showing you hospitality too. Oh well." He snapped his fingers and a wave of shadowy figures leapt out of the walls around Sinon. Her eyes widened at the threat as she notched another arrow, but something was wrong. Her usually fast and flawless reloading was slower for some reason.

That was when she noticed it.

«Debuff: Shadow's Embrace»

The daunting symbol below her name in the list of party members, her green bar was the only one still full of life. Kirito's name was grayed out for some reason, but she had a pretty good idea as to why.

"So you've noticed. I hope you realize that resistance is futile then, there's no way you can fight back against my squadron of Forsaken." The king's voice sounded out again, causing the shadows around Sinon to hold back their attacks and stay clircling her instead.

He was right. But how did she get this debuff anyway? Was it because of the Forsaken? Was it this place? Whatever it was, she was growing weaker by the second. She can feel it.

"What have you done to my friends?" She hissed out instead of releasing her arrow.

The king hummed in interest as he gestured to the group lying on the ground, "Oh, just simple paralysis. Nothing too major, but I had to make sure they didn't heal up." He explained.

" _Listen, if you get taken. I need you to yell my name, as loud as you can. Wherever you are, I'll find you. Just, don't stop yelling until I do."_ Kirito's voice sounded out in Sinon's head as she remembered what he told her before engaging those Forsaken that ambushed them. She gulped inaudibly and leapt into the air. Golden words flicked around her as her arrow began to glow orange.

The magic arrow surged downward after being released and struck the ground in the middle of the circle of Forsaken shadows. The impact that struck the ground cracked the ice and detonated the effects of the orange arrow. A small fiery explosion shook the walls and threw all of the shadows back, dispersing them around the large room.

Sinon's form landed and she took in a deep breath, "KIRITO!"

Her shrill voice shook the walls and sent some of the icicles above crashing down. A couple of the icy spikes plunged into a few of the Forsaken below, killing them instantly. But there were still too many that were slowly standing back up, and Sinon's strength was slowly leaving her the longer she stood there.

"KIRITO!" She called out again, notching another arrow with the same magic.

She launched the second projectile into the body of the closest enemy, its effects much weaker than her first but still enough to kill the shadow upon impact.

"KIRIT-" Her next call was silenced when a pitch black arrow collided with her shoulder, the projectile's size was huge and its force sent her flying backward and smashing into the wall behind her. The bow in her hand clattered to the ground and slid a small distance away, bringing it out of reach. Her health dropped by a full quarter, instantly bringing her straight into the yellow.

"Tsk, tsk. You shouldn't be making such a ruckus. He can't hear you anyway. Besides, I'm sure my _pet_ is making quick work of him." The Taken King spoke calmly, lowering his black bow and eyeing the embedded girl.

 _Pet!?_ Sinon thought as she pushed herself out of the wall. She made a dive for her bow only to be slashed out of the air by a nearby shadow. They were slowly closing in on her now, slowly backing her against the wall and completely surrounding her again. This time, she was completely weaponless.

"Oh, pity. Looks like you can't-" He cut himself off as he flicked his shadowy head to the side, something seemed to catch his attention. "What the _hell?!"_

His exclamation was muffled by the wall closest to Sinon exploding in a flurry of sandstone and ice shards.

Her side of the room quickly flooded with kicked up dust and dispersed sand. The wall that was originally intact was busted open from the other side. The cloud kicked up from the forceful breach obscuring the details of the person slowly walking into the room.

"Sorry to intrude, but the door was locked." Kirito's voice pierced through the haze as he dug the tip of his gleaming black sword into the ground in front of Sinon.

"Kirito." Sinon gasped, relief spreading over her features as she looked at the swordsman.

"You! How did you find this place?" The king demanded in a dark tone as he notched another solid black arrow.

"A little birdy told me." He responded vaguely.

The Taken King growled, his glowing red eyes flashed a deadly crimson as his form became shrouded by more black mist, "Don't just stand there…KILL HIM!" He yelled, releasing the arrow from his bow's hold.

Kirito tore his blade out of the ice and twirled it in the air, out of the corners of his vision he saw the charge of an onslaught of shadows, all surging forward to tear out his heart. They were all versions of him as well, which only made the situation even more deadly.

His onyx eyes switched back to the dark object flying toward him. He twirled his blade and positioned it behind his head, the black weapon then glowed bright blue as he charged his first sword skill. The smirk on his face widened as he flipped forward and slammed his blade into the black arrow hurtling toward his heart.

The projectile shattered into a burst of darkness and splinters as Kirito's blade sliced through it in an instant.

"H-how?" The king asked as he lowered his bow.

Kirito didn't let up, he landed on his feet and twirled his blade again, slamming the glowing blue weapon into the nearest approaching shadow. He powerfully slammed his sword through its torso before twirling around and dodging the swing of a second Forsaken's blade.

He ducked under the attack and kicked out that enemy's legs, throwing it to the ground for him to plunge his sword into it.

Shadow after shadow came rushing in like a wave of black mist, each one running in and teaming up against the black swordsman.

 _Faster._ Kirito yelled in his head as he took a slash to the side, _I need to be faster._ Gritting his teeth, he stabbed into the Forsaken Shadow that hurt him only for another to run in and send a deep slash into his shoulder.

It was then that he realized what the shadows were capable of.

His eyes glanced up as he leapt backward, immediately noticing the debuff below his name. This brought a smirk to the king's lips.

"What's wrong, _hero?_ Did you notice something?" He bellowed as he started to laugh. Kirito slashed away at more shadows as the king notched another arrow.

"Kirito! Watch out!" Sinon called out in vein from behind him.

In an instant, the black projectile surged through the air and slipped in between the wave of shadows. The arrow collided with Kirito's chest and dug deep into his body, dealing massive damage.

"Ufgh." Kirito grunted as he let out a pained groan. The black arrow embedded in his chest slowed his movements enough for the surrounding shadows to swarm him again and lower his health down to half.

Sinon pulled herself out of her useless shock and slid over to her bow. She quickly scooped it up and notched an arrow. _It's weak but it should at least stall him enough for Kirito to finish off the minions._ She reasoned as she sent it hurtling across the room to the king.

The king quickly notched his own arrow and sent it crushing through Sinon's. The larger projectile slammed through the smaller blue arrow and blew through its fragments. The black object flew through the air and straight for the blue haired archer.

Sinon was pulled to the side, barely evading the attack and letting it embed itself into the cracked icy wall behind her.

Ice shards struck her back as she was pulled by Kirito and position behind him again to protect her.

"Sinon! You okay?" Kirito called out as he drove his blade deep into the gut of a Shadow Jumper standing in his way. His body was riddle with glowing orange slashes.

"Y-yeah!" She responded, pushing herself to stand on her own.

Kirito nodded and made a wide sweep with his blade, pushing back the Forsaken Shadows in front of himself to give him some breathing room. But the action went unforgiven.

The sound of a large arrow flying through the air whistled off the walls as it pierced through the shadows in front of him and shot straight for his chest.

 _Crap! If this hits me, I lose the last of my HP!_ Kirito exclaimed in his head as he threw himself backward. His blade was slow, his footsteps sloppy, the Shadow's Embrace was taking its effect on his avatar. Not only did it weaken his attacks, but it slowed his movements too. The worst part was, he couldn't do anything to stop this arrow from piercing his heart!

His grip tightened on his blade uselessly as he awaited the inevitable.

His surroundings grew quite as the sound of an arrow plunging into flesh filled the room, the sudden noise echoing off the walls was followed by a stilled silence.

Kirito's HP didn't drop.

His dark eyes focused on the powdery blue hair that shook in front of him. Sinon's arms were extended and her breathing was ragged. Kirito watched as the girl in front of him, the one that took the arrow for him, collapsed to her knees with a muffled thud. She slowly turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her vision.

His heart throbbed in his chest as he saw Sinon give him a small smile, and mouthed the words "Finish this…"

…before collapsing to the floor in front of him, HP dipped down into the red before stopping just shy of disappearing entirely. It was barely noticeable but that meant she had just enough health to survive, however her body stayed motionless on the floor after falling.

Kirito froze on the spot, his breathing uneven, his eyes refusing to look away from the girl on the floor.

A dark chuckle shook the walls as the Taken King notched another arrow, "The funny thing about that Shadow's Embrace debuff I crafted, is that when you're health gets low enough, you become paralyzed. And it becomes much harder to speak." He laughed as he took aim at the still standing teen across the room.

Kirito's bangs shaded his eyes, hiding them from view. His face held an emotionless stare that never left the floor in front of him. His grip on his sword loose, the handle threatening to fall from his grasp at any second.

The King's Forsaken Shadows slowly surrounded him, silently banishing the teen to the depth of certain defeat as they completely circled around him. All of them had their swords drawn, simply waiting for the King's order to _end_ their target.

"Looks like you've finally given up. You're friends have been weakened to the point of uselessness. You're strength has been sliced in half, and you're outnumbered 20 to 1. You're drive to fight has dwindled into the single digits, and there's nothing left that can keep you on your feet. Half a bar of HP will _NOT_ be enough to stop me! So let's end this, stop struggling and accept defeat!" The king bellowed, ready to release the final arrow to end Kirito's life.

Kirito's fingers slowly closed around the handle of his black longsword.

"Thank you…Sinon." He whispered out as he cast his gaze further downward. His eyes still shrouded in the darkness of his bangs as his face grew darker.

"You think you've got me all figured out? That I'm too weak to fight back, even now against impossible odds?" Kirito spoke coldly, his body still sliced up but unmoving. The shadows around him began to stir, inching away from the dark aura that emanated from the menacing Spriggan.

A smirk slowly grew on his lips as he extended his free hand, absently pulling up his menu as he laced his words with ice, "You're not even close. You're too naïve to know how much power one person can hold when they have something to protect… _someone_ to protect." He breathed out, it was ragged and cold. "I'll kill you before you lay another hand on my friends." His black eyes cast upward as he glared at the shadowy King up on his throne. "I will stop at _nothing_ until each and every one of you is nothing more than a memory!"

The swordsman took a breath to steady himself and gazed back down at his menu, "But I've got good news." He continued, his glare somehow became darker as his voice was filled to the brim with overflowing hatred, "You see! There's no need to wonder where you're _god_ is…" His grip tightened on his Eostryder as his other hand danced slowly across his menu.

"…because he's right _here_!" His finger pressed a button on a certain object in his inventory, "And he's fresh out of mercy." He hissed out, eyes going deathly cold as a golden sword digitalized across his back.

The Taken King growled at the teen's arrogance and let loose his black arrow. "FINISH HIM!"

Once hesitant Forsaken Shadows snapped to their king's order and barred down on Kirito in an instant, making sure to keep him busy so that the arrow could fly in and kill the dark Spriggan.

A toothy grin spread across the King's lips as he watched his arrow approach its target. In the background, his wave of minions were already moving in and piling on top of Kirito's body. His entire form was drowned in darkness as shadow after shadow leapt on top of him, all holding him down for the arrow to pierce through and finish him off.

"Do it now, Daddy!" A light voice pierced the air from within the pile of shadows.

A glowing white light pierced through the cracks of darkness, quickly growing brighter and surging its glow up to blinding levels. The shadows piled on top of Kirito began to still, all of them coming to a stop as they sat atop Kirito's downed form.

Right as the arrow flew within a meter of the pile, the mass of shadows exploded outward in a storm of blinding white light. The explosion shattered the first layer of shadows into golden polygons, and sent the outer layers flying through the air.

Black boots pressed down into the ice and caused a web of cracks to span outward from where Kirito crouched. His golden Excalibur was bathed in a pure white light as he held it at his side, his black blade pointed down and at his other side.

"Holy…Execution!" Kirito yelled out as he streaked forward in a blur of black and white. The initial step caused the ice beneath his feet to shatter as he took off. The blinding white light streaked behind his blade as he drove it through the arrow hurtling toward his chest.

His speed maintained its momentum as he flipped through the air and slammed his boots back down onto the ground.

"Stop him!" The shadow King commanded, rallying the remaining Forsaken Shadows in the room to step into Kirito's path and slay him.

That was a mistake.

Kirito's glowing white blade streaked around his sprinting form as he twirled the legendary weapon through the air. He leaped off the ground and drove his blade through the first few shadows before they could even ready any attacks.

He surged past their shattering forms and slammed his blades into the next set of shadows. These ones had time to group up and set up a blockade of blades. All of them had their weapons extended into a blocking move as they crossed blades and prepared to stop the raging swordsman.

Kirito's Excalibur paired with his Eostryder broke through their block with enough force to rattle the walls from the resounding clang. The shadowy swords shattered into fragmented shards as the Spriggan surged forward, driving his two blades through the last shadows before leaping up and diving for the king.

The Taken King stepped back in mild shock, watching as one fairy decimated his entire militia of armed shadow warriors. He quickly threw his bow to the side and drew a massive shadowy longsword to block the blow. The force of Kirito's attack sent the massive King skidding backward until his heels slammed against the foot of his throne.

Excalibur surged with light as Kirito used the King's block to grind his swords down the length of the large shadowy blade. The King saw this and drew his blade back, quickly sweeping it through the air and slamming it into the diving teen.

The attack sent Kirito hurtling through the air and back down the stairs. He was able to block the majority of the damage, but he still sustained some injury from the powerful swing. Kirito let his boots dig into the hardened ice as he skidded to a stop a few meters from the royal stairs.

"I'll admit you're stronger than you look." The Taken King complimented as he leapt into the air and slammed his blade down toward Kirito.

Kirito side stepped the attack and slashed away the chunks of ice that blew upward from the impact, "You're not so bad yourself, for a _boss_." He shot back as he charged forward and carved his blades down the King's back.

The boss grunted in pain before prying his blade out of the ground and spinning on the spot, quickly sending it into his falling attacker.

Kirito barely had enough time to dodge the attack, he was only able to spin in the air enough for the blade to only slash through his side.

 _Damn it. If this keeps up, the paralysis will kick in once I drop into the red. And my Holy Execution sword skill ran out too._ Kirito grunted as he tumbled through the air and slammed into the base of the throne's stairs.

A pained gasp ripped out of his throat as ice fragments shattered around him.

His HP was now hanging on by a thread just above the transition into the red zone.

 _No time for an HP potion._ He realized as the King charged forward again, dragging his large blade against the ice and scraping the ground as he ran.

 _No…._ Kirito gripped his longswords and dug them into the ground. He used the leverage to pry him out of his icy embrace and stumble to his feet. _I won't let this boss beat me!_

He pulled his blades from the ground right as the King reared back his own sword to bring it down on him. Kirito tensed his muscles as he swung both blades through the air, the black blade glowing blue from a quickly charged sword skill.

A small explosion of light quickly engulfed where the three blades collided above Kirito. He used his strength to bat aside the King's attack and send it straight into the ice just to the right of him.

Slowly flying chunks of ice flew past Kirito's face as he moved to make a lunge for the boss. The Spriggan used the opening and leapt forward, slashing both blades horizontally across the king's chest.

 _It's now or never!_ He didn't let up.

Kirito charged sword skill after sword skill, again and again straight into the King's front, alternating between longswords as he ruthlessly attacked the boss in front of him. His relentless barrage of sword skills burned through his SP bar, but he didn't notice. The Taken King's health was down to its last remaining sliver of red.

The teen made another swing, driving his right blade forward only for the King to catch it in one of his shadowy hands with a pained smirk. The boss drew back and drove his own blade forward, stabbing toward Kirito's body.

 _Too slow!_ "HAAAAAAAH!" Kirito screamed as he plunged his other blade forward, sending his golden Excalibur straight into the King's gut with a final yell of exertion.

Both of the combatants froze, each one hunched forward into the other as they both had their blades extended.

Kirito's final attack diminished the last of The Taken King's health, the empty bar soon vanishing entirely.

"Finally….a worthy…hero." The King gasped out between breaths before his entire shadowy form exploded in an expanding flurry of golden polygons.

Kirito stepped backward as he looked up, his arms falling lazily at his sides to let his swords clatter to the icy ground.

«Congratulations!»

The large message floated just above the throne as victory music filled the silent room. His gaze fell from the words of victory and looked over toward his friends on the ground, each one of them staring at him in varying degrees of happiness and relief.

He looked down at the loot overview and was glad to see the large rewards he received, along with a few extra drops as well.

Before he could move to heal his friends, a message popped up in front of his tired form and nearly knocked him over.

«Bonus Drop»

Bow: Bane of Shadows

«Arrows fly twice as fast and deal 30% more damage at night»

A silent groan rumbled in his throat as he confirmed the rare item. _I guess it's only fair that I repay my savior._

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Okay, to be _completely_ honest with you, I had no idea this chapter was going to be so long. But hey, at least there was a cool boss fight at the end. There is this one thing that has yet to be resolved though, just where is the lost sister? They'll probably find her in the next chapter. She's probably 'playing' with a certain _pet_ or something. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This story is extremely fun to write, and it's doing pretty well too, so I can't wait to bring you more plot. _REVIEW_ , please let me know how I'm doing and what you think. It helps more than you think it does. Leave a _Favorite_ and _Follow_ the story, there's more intensity to be had in the coming storm.**

 **Also, Thank You to demonic1556 for suggesting a Labyrinth oriented quest.**

 **And for those of you who recognized the quote, this is probably one of my top favorites of all time: "I've got good news. You see, there's no need to wonder where you're _god_ is. Because he's right _here_ …and he's fresh out of mercy." - Kirito from SWEabridged's SAO Abridged**

 **Cya XD**


	3. Rescued

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Rescued

«»

The Taken King's defeat released the shadowy grip that tainted the tunnels of the vast Labyrinth. The once dull, icy blue walls of the Throne Room became illuminated by old torches that spanned across the walls and pillars behind the ice. The once unlit objects glowed with fire as the receding ice disappeared from the room. The cold surface seemed to melt away in black wisps of smoke before that too dissipated into the still air of the large extravagant room.

A pitch black throne sat atop the stairs at one end inside what looked like a circular cove of the room. The walls that encased the chamber were smooth sandstone chiseled with swirling designs and glistening gems. Pillars appeared behind where the ice hid, reaching high up and touching the twenty foot high ceiling. Each pillar had a curved arch way protruding from its top that reached across and connected to the opposite pillar on the adjacent side. The architectural and structural design made the ceiling look less flat and added more depth than it once was when it was riddled with dense ice crystals.

From the looks of it, the room from the entrance, which was a large eight by six arched doorway, to the throne was around thirty to forty meters in length and its width was a good twenty meters. It was large, big enough to fit an entire raid party of forty players. The floor of the room gleamed with a reflective black stone, and in the middle spanned a large walkway that reached from pillar to pillar and all the way to the throne's stairs.

Kirito's echoing footsteps across the ruby colored stone pathway bounced across the walls as he approached his friends. It was actually quite disappointing. He sighed as he grew to a stop at the party's healer, Asuna.

"Looks like you've been recruited to heal everyone up. With the danger gone, it'll be easier to have you use your spells and conserve our HP potions." The Spriggan explained as he pulled out a small healing potion.

"Oi, that _sucked_!" Klein groaned as he rolled onto his side.

Apparently the paralysis has worn off now.

"Ugh, tell me about it." Leafa agreed as she struggled to sit up. She took the time to stretch her arms and legs before looking around at the revealed room.

Asuna took the potion from Kirito's offering hand and slowly drank its contents. Her health bar steadily rose and entered the green before the bottle depleted and shattered into particles.

"Does anyone else feel stiff? Like, really stiff?" Liz asked absently from her spot beside Silica.

Silica gave a brief nod and slumped back down onto the ground. "A little healing would be nice, right about now."

"On it." Asuna said, as she stood up and nodded her thanks to Kirito. The swordsman smiled and began walking toward the entrance, where a certain someone was sitting and leaning against the wall.

The Undine began her group healing spell, initiating the process and executing it with glowing gold words of power. Soon, everyone in the party began to be engulfed with refreshing green light effects.

Kirito looked up and saw everyone's health bars slowly refill as Asuna's mana bar depleted quickly. "This may take a few tries." He inwardly groaned as he finally reached Sinon. Lazily, he slid himself down the wall at her side and leaned his head back.

"That was some fight, Kirito. Why is it that you always get to look cool fighting and winning against impossible odds? And don't even get me started on asking how you managed to negate the Shadow's Embrace effects." Sinon started, her bright blue reflective eyes glanced at him for a second before looking forward at the recovering group. They seemed to be chatting and playing around as they waited for Asuna's mana to regenerate.

"Seriously, you guys should learn to help out every once in a while." Kirito responded with a frown, "Sheesh, feels like I always do the work." He ended with a sigh and ran a hand through his black messy hair.

"What do you mean, Daddy? I helped out!" Yui's light muffled voice sounded out before she popped out of Kirito's chest pocket.

He chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender, "Sorry, I was just kidding anyway. You did great, Yui."

"Wait." Sinon cut in, "I thought she couldn't navigate the maze because something was blocking her sensors." She asked.

Kirito looked away from Yui and over to the Cait Sith beside him. _Right, I should probably explain that._ "Well, you're right. She couldn't pick anyone up on her scanners because the Forsaken Shadows in the walls were specifically programmed to negate Navigational Pixie abilities." He started. "However, she and I could still hear distant noises loud and clear. Thanks to my Perception skills and Yui's detection sense, I was able to hear you when you called." Kirito explained as he let Yui land on his right shoulder, in between the two fairies.

"Yep, if it weren't for you Sinon, we would never have found you or the rest of the group." Yui added with a bright smile.

"So, you just 'heard' me through the walls then?"

Kirito hummed a combination of a whine and a disagreeing groan, "Uh, something like that."

Sinon rolled her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall, "Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing actually."

"Hey, it worked didn't it?" Kirito replied in his defense.

"Oh, and to answer your other question. When all the shadows piled up on me, I had Yui detonate an antidote crystal in my storage compartment. That's how I was able to get rid of the debuff." He explained and pet Yui on the head.

"And why didn't you do it yourself?" Sinon asked out of curiosity.

"I was busy charging my sword skill, plus I couldn't exactly move much." The boy shrugged his shoulders in response. He then gave the girl a warm smile, remembering what happened before that. "Thank you , for saving me back there." He said.

Sinon slid her feet back and bent her legs. She pulled them loosely into her arms as her ears twitched from his words. "Y-yeah, anytime. You did the same for me." She spoke quietly, then let out a light sigh. "I couldn't do anything else anyway." She said, hiding her face in the crook of her arms that crossed around her knees.

"Well, as thank you." Kirito began and swiped his fingers down to open his menu, "I want to give you this."

His words brought a curious glint into the Cait Sith's eyes as she lifted her head to look at him. It was tilted slightly, and her ears heightened in an attentive manor giving the girl a noticeably cute appearance. "Hmm? What is it?" She asked.

Kirito let a smirk cross his lips as he opened up a trade and offered her the bow that dropped.

"Bane of Shadows…it's a bow! I didn't know any boss's dropped any bow variants aside from the basics." Sinon gaped as she accepted the trade and hurriedly entered her inventory. There it was, sitting in her weapons cache. Sinon unequipped her current bow and equipped the more powerful bow that better suited her level.

In her hands digitalized a pitch black metallic recurve bow. It looked like it was made out of the same material the throne was made out of, but this seemed like it was combined with metals as well. Its reflective black surface gleamed in the light of the torches and was cold to the touch.

"It's amazing." Sinon commented absent mindedly as she grazed her hand across its smooth surface. It was long, but looked like it held a lot of tension in its black string. The ends curved outward away from her, and at its center where the handle was were two large spikes like armored appendages. They protruded from above and below the handle and pointed forward, almost like a focal point for the arrows and a way to armor the archer's hand as well.

"Check to see if there's any lore." Kirito said, watching as Sinon's amazed eyes slowly danced across the bow's curves. She eventually pulled up the item's info and checked for background information.

Bane of Shadows: Forged in the darkest regions of the Kaeliox Caverns by The Taken King's finest black smiths, a bow told to hold the power of a thousand Forsaken Souls was crafted from the metals mined from deep within the Erebi Mountain Range. Black steel embodied with darkness, a bow fit for a king. Legend has it that this bow becomes stronger when under the dark of night, but the king was forever imprisoned within the maze called The Labyrinth to rule a kingdom beneath the surface. It has yet to bathe in the embrace of the sun's light.

Sinon read off the lore in wonder. As she read, the two of them were illuminated again by Asuna's healing bringing them closer to maxing out on HP. When she finished, she flicked her fingers and closed her menu to look down at the weapon in her lap.

"So, looks like this will be the first time this bow has been outside." She sighed as she stood up, feeling rejuvenated from the healing they were receiving.

"Yeah, but why was the king imprisoned here? That part doesn't make sense." Kirito said, as he stood next to her. He was listening in interest, and that seemed to stand out more than anything.

The girl shook her head and gave Kirito a small smile, "Thank you. Whenever I use this, I'll think of _you_ in my heart." She teased as she walked forward to regroup with the others.

Kirito flinched slightly, a little taken aback by Sinon bringing up that promise again. That was what he promised her for whenever he drew Excalibur. He quickly shook off the thought and ignored Yui's giggling form on his shoulder.

"Looks like she got me there." He sighed in defeat and walked forward as well.

"Kirito, get anything good from the boss?!" Klein called out as we waved the teen over.

The Spriggan joined the group and pointed toward Sinon, "Not really. Only that bow."

To his surprise, the girls of the group seemed to dawn looks of jealousy and irritation. All of which were directed toward Sinon's awkwardly smiling avatar.

An echoing clap resounded off the walls and pulled the attention back to a certain samurai, "Alright, well I don't know about you guys, but I still have a quest objective on my HUD that needs completing." He made a gesture with his hands and pulled up the current quest they were supposed to be working on.

"Oh, right. We still need to save that girl." Kirito realized.

"No duh Sherlock, you just _had_ to go and fight a boss didn't yah?" Liz pointed an accusing figure in the teen's direction.

"W-well-"

Whatever Kirito was about to say was cut off by another annoyed exclamation, "All he knows is combat and dramatic entrances. Seriously, that's all he's good for." Asuna chipped in, enjoying teasing the poor Spriggan.

"That's my brother for you. Once he sees a raging battle going on, he's off to save the day." Leafa added in, smiling mischievously at Kirito.

"Where did I go wrong?" Kirito muttered as he watched the girls of the group laugh amusedly. _Did I miss something?_ He thought.

Klein laid a hand on his shoulder and chuckled, "What they mean to say is thank you. You saved our asses, again."

 _It doesn't feel like that's what they mean._ Kirito groaned and shrugged off the man's hand from his shoulder.

"Does anyone else feel that?" Silica asked, she was the only one still seated on the ground. Pina sat idly on her head as she looked up at the group.

"Feel what?" Klein asked for elaboration.

"It almost feels like…the floor is vibrating." She responded, placing her palms on the stone ground.

Kirito laid himself down onto his stomach and pressed his ear to the cold ground. His palms pressed up against its smooth surface beside his head as he listened and felt for vibrations.

…

She was right.

The ground was releasing some kind of subtle rhythm of tiny vibrations.

"Yui."

"On it."

The pixie new exactly what to do and flew off of Kirito's shoulder to press her own tiny hands against the floor of the throne room. "It's coming from up there." She informed.

Kirito looked up and noticed she was pointing up toward the throne atop the stairs.

"Why would the throne be vibrating." He asked himself as he stood up.

"Maybe it's a massage chair?" Klein offered.

His statement had palms meeting foreheads throughout the majority of the group.

Kirito began to move forward, "Well, only one way to find out. Klein, you're with me. Everyone else can hang back."

Klein made his way over and fell in line beside the swordsman as they both walked toward the throne. The vibrations seemed to get stronger as they climbed the stairs and got closer to the black object. When they reached the top, it seemed like they could actually hear the throne humming. Like a gentle muffled constant vibration.

"Klein, touch it." Kirito ordered absent mindedly.

"What?! Why me?" The Salamander exclaimed.

"Because you're wearing red. You're expendable." Kirito laughed as he stopped just in front of the massive black chair.

Klein huffed in defiance and stopped a few feet behind the teen, "No way man, you do it."

Kirito looked back over his shoulder and gave his scruffy friend an amused smile. "Alright."

With that said, he turned around and slowly sat himself down onto the kingless throne. Nothing seemed to happen right away, but after a few seconds the vibrations seemed to stop.

The Spriggan was just about to stand back up in disappointment when a sudden message popped up in front of him.

«Return of the King»

Congratulations! You have slayed the dark king and rid this Labyrinth of his shadowy grasp. May this maze and the next be forever prosperous under you're reign. We, The Forsaken, accept you as our new king, Kirito. You will never see us, for we have been set free thanks to you. The curse has been lifted. We entrust you with our most powerful champion.

P.S. Beware the King's pet, it thrives in the depths of the maze. It takes orders from _no one_.

«The King's Blessing: Shadow Companion»

Ability allows the summoning of a Forsaken Shadow in places the sun does not reach. The minion will make an exact copy of its owner's appearance and currently equipped weapons. You're orders are absolute. All it requires is a command, and it will execute it. The King's Blessing can only be cast once a day. The summoned shadow will immediately be destroyed once sunlight is cast upon its form.

«Confirm»

"Well, I guess I'm king now." Kirito said, dismissing the message and looking up expectantly at Klein.

The man in question stared back defiantly and crossed his arms, "What're you looking at?" Klein asked.

Kirito chuckled and stood up, "Forget it. Let's just get out of here."

The teen patted Klein's shoulder and walked past him.

Klein looked at the teen, confusion with a hint of jealousy riddled his face as he looked back at the throne. _Tempting, very tempting. But we have a maiden to save._ He sighed and tore his gaze away from the blackened seat. He quickly stepped down the stone stairs and caught up to Kirito to join the rest of the group again.

"So, what was up with that message?" Sinon was the first to ask.

Klein groaned and kept walking, "He's the king now. New spell. I'm going."

The swordsman in question looked genuinely impressed before placing his hands on his hips and nodding his head, "That pretty much sums it up. I guess it was a last hit bonus or something."

"Well, at least you got something out of it too. I'd feel bad if I was the only one." Sinon said, gesturing to the bow holstered across her back.

"Yeah, it'd be pretty cool if I actually put some points into my summoning skill tree." Kirito made a disappointed frown before shrugging and moving on. "Either way, it still could be pretty useful. I think only the person that killed the king can get it."

"Which would also mean it's a last hit bonus reward. Just like in Aincrad." Asuna commented.

"Yes, which means this place was probably generated by the Cardinal System. And that means this could end up being a world quest, just like how we got Excalibur." Kirito further explained.

"So, that means we might need more people to storm the island." Sinon concluded.

Kirito placed his hands in his pockets and began following Klein, "In due time, for now we can get as much as we can done before spreading the word ourselves. Besides, I'm sure people are starting to hear about it by now."

"What makes you say that?" Liz asked.

This time, Yui stood up on Kirito's shoulder and flew herself into the middle of the group. "Now that the central boss has been defeated, I've been able to sense the presence of other players on the island. About eight so far have set foot on here since we landed." She explained.

"Well, I don't know about you girls." Leafa interrupted, "But I think we should worry about our quest first before competing with other players for quests on this island."

"She's right." Liz agreed. "We still have a girl to save."

The two fairies headed off in the direction of the entrance.

"How far do you think Klein will make it before he gets lost?" Asuna asked from her spot between Sinon and Silica.

"Maybe a few good turns." Sinon suggested.

"But it'll be mapped out. Everywhere he walks becomes discovered on his map, how would he get lost?" Silica asked.

The question caused Asuna and Kirito to laugh and begin walking, "It's Klein. He gets lost way too easily. You should've seen him when we helped the Sleeping Knights fight that boss." Kirito called over his shoulder.

"I heard that!"

Apparently, they were both wrong. Klein was smart this time and stopped at the entrance to the throne room to wait for back up.

"I made it there in time! That has to count for something!" He called to Kirito as he watched the rest of the group approach the arch way.

"Admittedly it was a rather nice sneak attack." Asuna complimented.

"Oh good, you did something right." Liz laughed. She was leaning against the wall beside Klein and Leafa.

Yui flew ahead of Kirito and looked down one of the corridors that branched off from the doorway. "I can sense her now. She's in a clearing up ahead. It should take us 10 minutes to get to her from here." She informed. "I don't think she's alone. There's another, larger signature near her location."

Kirito picked up the pace and started jogging down the corridor Yui pointed toward, "Let's go save a life then."

* * *

The group stumbled into a large circular room.

The first thing they noticed was the pungent stench of rotten flesh and bone. It was enough to make any innocent soul faint, or even turn high tail and run within the first few steps. It was nearly overwhelming, but the group endured the smell and pushed onward in favor of saving the girl.

All across the wide floor were piles of bones, skulls, spines and ribs. Each one grayed with age and most had lingering remains of decaying flesh in different intervals of time. Some were ancient, and some seemed to be recently killed.

Six corridors branched off from its round walls. It could easily fit thirty people with enough room to fight a boss if it weren't for the bones littering the ground. But this wasn't the boss room. The piles of bones that were strewn across the room built up at the sides, making it seem almost mountainous with a barren valley at its center.

It was a clearing of sorts, like a smaller area in the middle that was barren of any bones. But it also seemed to be the kill zone thanks to the sand ridden dry blood pools that stained the ground.

In that area was a little girl. She looked to be around the age of 13. Her short dirty blonde hair nearly reached her shoulders and had a rough unkempt appearance. She lay unconscious on the ground; her dirty plain sleeveless shirt could be seen past her tattered cloak. Not much else could be seen from where the party stood. The tail of the cloak was seemingly draped over the rest of her as she was sprawled out in the center of the room.

"Alright, so I'm guessing this is where the king's pet has its snacks?" Klein asked, he was the first to enter the room.

"You…are probably right." Kirito agreed, stepping carefully behind Klein. "Liz, I think we'll need you and your shield up front." He suggested, gesturing for her to come with him. "You're our tank after all."

Liz nodded and stepped ahead of the two swordsmen. The three of them drew their weapons as they followed the pathway toward the center of the room. Its edges were made of tall slopes of bones, some of which were randomly spread across the pathway they walked.

The center of the room was the only place the light was coming from. Its center circle was surrounded by tall torches, each one with a large flame burning at its peak.

"Silica, follow behind us. Asuna and Leafa, we're going to need you two at the back where you can heal us. Sinon, you'll go where they go. Whatever it is we'll need to fight, let's hope your new bow can handle it." Kirito said, taking lead of the situation. He had a bad feeling about this room.

The piles of bones began to violently shift and scatter as an earth rumbling roar shook the room they stood in.

"That didn't take long."

Kirito heard Klein comment as the rumbling died off and the bones stilled to a stop.

A silhouette of a large beast appeared at the opposite end of the room. Its footsteps echoed in the bone filled room as it charged forward with heavy steps. Once it stepped into the light, it was easy to tell what the beast was.

The monster stood a solid nine feet tall and it's bulkiness in muscle was extremely prominent. Making it look like it had the strength of a hundred men. His large head was that of a red-eyed bull, with two massive horns protruding from the sides. A thick iron ring looped through its large nostrils. He had a thick masculine human-shaped body, but it was entirely covered in dark brown fur, aside from the leather straps that crossed his chest and down to his waist, making the shape of an 'X'. His waist was covered in tattered loin cloth that extended down from an armored bronze belt that connected to his leather straps. His legs were just as muscular, and also completely covered in the same fur as the rest of his body. He had large black hooves, protected by thick bronze greaves.

The beast released another earth rattling roar and drew a massive battle axe from its back. Its rusted iron seemed dull in color but its rough sharpness made up for its appearance. Its handle was thick and made of strong wood, leading down to a heavy metal pommel at its end.

«Minotaur»

"Minotaur." Kirito muttered as he drew his legendary blade in his other hand. _Looks like I'll be needing Excalibur too after all._

The Minotaur released a toothy grin as three green health bars spawned in and stacked on top of each other.

"Heads up, this boss has the same amount of health as The Taken King." Kirito warned as the beast stormed forward.

"The girl!" Klein yelled, sprinting forward and reaching the young child before the beast could descend on her. He quickly scooper her up in his arms and leapt backward back toward the group.

"Set her to the side, we'll watch over her as we heal you guys up." Asuna called out form the back of the group.

Klein grunted in understanding and ran to the back.

Kirito and Liz ran ahead to meet the Minotaur's charge. Liz's shield clattered against the massive swing the beast unleashed from its battle axe. Kirito used the stall in the swing to sweep in and carve his blades through the Minotaur's chest.

The attack rewarded him with another roar and a strong punch to the gut from the Minotaur's free hand. It took a heavy step back and blew steam out of its nostrils. Its thick hands gripped the wooden handle of his axe as his red eyes looked over the team of two.

"HAAAAH!"

Klein yelled as he leapt into the air and drove his blade down onto the boss. The Minotaur responded and stepped backward, evading the attack and leaving Klein wide open for a powerful blow from his axe.

"Klein, switch out!"

The samurai stepped back and rotated out, letting Liz swoop in and slam her shield into the incoming attack. This time, the axe grazed past the surface of the shield and continued on. The beast seemed to use its momentum to spin himself around and slam his blade into Liz's shield again, breaking her block and sending her skidding backward.

Klein caught her skidding form from losing balance and Kirito ran in again. His Veldi's Eostryder glowing red with power from his sword skill as he ducked the strike and slashed at the monster's knees.

The beast howled in pain before rearing its fist back and slamming it down, crushing the ground where Kirito once crouched. He quickly ducked back into formation with the other three and readied his swords.

Minotaur roared and made a heavy swing forward, slamming his axe at the three in front of him. The massive weapon collided into Liz's shield again and stopped in its tracks. He growled in annoyance as he backed away from a charging double team from Klein and Kirito.

The two swordsman ran forward in sync and slashed up the beast's chest, cutting clean through its hardened skin before kicking off and landing back by Liz again. The two seemed to mirror each other for the entire maneuver.

The boss recovered faster than the three predicted and swung his axe, knocking the combatants back a few feet and throwing them to the ground.

Asuna and Leafa quickly combined efforts and healed the three of them as they stood up.

"Kirito, I need you to break through his guard for me." Klein yelled as he crouched and charged his own sword skill.

"You got it. Liz, I need you!" Kirito responded, causing Liz to follow up behind him.

Just as the beast swung again, Liz stepped in front of the Spriggan and used her shield to block the attack. Kirito quickly stepped around the girl and ducked under the grinding axe. With a careful and precise swing, he slammed both blades up into the underside of the axe and sent it rebounding into the air, causing the boss to stagger backward.

"Klein!"

On cue, Klein flew in with his Katana spewing out fire from its steel blade. He slashed horizontally across the monster's chest before redirecting the sword and bringing it down diagonally. Without stalling, he spun and slashed across the Minotaur's chest thrice more before plunging his flaming blade deep into the beasts gut.

The boss growled in aggravation and brought his axe down in a vertical swing onto Klein. The samurai's body took the hit and his form slammed into the ground beneath the monster. It pried it's blade form the man's back and reared it up for another strike.

Kirito ducked into the line of the attack and crossed his blades over his head, creating a powerful block that stopped the Minotaur's swing in its tracks. The swordsman's health began to deplete the more he blocked, but he needed to slow the beast down.

"Sinon, how 'bout now?!" He grunted out as Klein rolled out from beneath Kirito and slashed the boss's arm.

"That's perfect!"

Sinon's voice called out as a blue arrow shrouded in dark mist pierced the monster's eye. Her arrow struck a weak spot and earned her a critical hit.

The beast's head snapped backward and pulled back its attack. It angrily released another howl of pain before ripping the arrow out of its eye and crushing it in its hand. He looked up only for a second arrow to shatter against his forehead, dealing minimal damage.

Piercing red eyes quickly found the archer and growled, tightening his grip on his axe and scraping his hoof against the stone floor.

"Uhh, I don't like that look." Asuna said, stepping slightly away from Sinon.

"Yeah, good luck with this one." Leafa added, moving away as well.

Sinon awkwardly stepped backward and let loose more arrows, each one shattering off the Minotaur's standing body and dealing close to no damage at all.

"No good, we have to try and get it to stop moving again." Kirito yelled as he jumped up and slammed away a furious swing from the monster.

Silica let Leafa and Asuna look after the girl and ran in to support the others in the fight. She quickly took her place behind Liz and between the two swordsmen.

"Ah good, we can try and overwhelm it now." Klein suggested.

"Might as well try." Liz agreed.

Liz stepped forward with a glowing white shield and let it block the Minotaur's sweeping axe again. The clash sent a resounding wave of air past her and kicked her hair back from the burst. A flurry of swords and daggers followed her block, each one cleaving through the boss's chest and legs diminishing its first health bar.

They didn't let up. Liz put more strength into her block and stopped another frantic swing, giving her friends more time to work at its next health bar. The beast roared as its chest was assaulted. He grunted and pulled his axe back over his head, only to receive another arrow to his other eye.

A muffled, ' _YES'_ could be heard over the sounds of combat.

Kirito nodded to the others and began charging another sword skill, this time his Excalibur began to glow white. Klein charged his own orange one, and Silica followed up with her own shining green skill as well.

Liz ran in for another block and successfully stopped the monster's axe again.

The opening sent the rest into action. Kirito and Klein leapt high into the air and plunged their swords straight down from the Minotaur's shoulders, then began hacking away at its stomach and legs. Silica followed the two up and jumped off Liz's back for extra height, she quickly dug her dual daggers into the center of the boss's back and tore downward from behind, slicing all the way through its back before diving between its legs and rolling safely behind Liz again.

The Minotaur roared angrily as his second health bar shattered into nothing but air. His eyes seemed to glow brighter as he roared even louder, almost as if the pain sent a wave of strength through the monster's body.

He held his axe high above his head before splitting it down the center of its blades, separating the massive double bladed axe into two large single bladed axes. The boss gripped the dual weapons in his large hands and glared at the four in front of him.

"Crap, I think his style has changed! Watch out!" Kirito called out just as the beast started swinging.

For lack of a better term, it was like a cyclone backed by the strength of a hundred men all wielding powerful axes.

The Minotaur unleashed a flurry of quicker, stronger strikes with its dual axes. Plunging the blades forward at a much faster speed than the larger double bladed axe could ever reach.

Kirito was having trouble blocking the strikes, which spoke words for how his friends were doing.

"Gah!" Silica exclaimed as her small form was sent bouncing off the stones and tumbling backward.

 _This is bad._ Kirito thought as his shoulder was slashed by another one of the beast's strikes. He quickly crossed his blades in front of himself and blocked a heavy back slash; the force sent his boots skidding backward into the stone as he slid to a stop a few meters away.

Asuna and Liz quickly healed the group back up but they were nearing their limit of backup mana potions. They needed to do something, and fast.

"Ufgh!" Liz followed Silica's example and was thrown back as well, tumbling and bouncing into a pile of bones. Her pink hair was the only thing visible as the rest of her was quickly buried.

No amount of bones could muffle the startled and disgusted squeal she let loose in that very moment.

Kirito and Klein were working together just to slow down the onslaught of spinning axes in front of them. Their swords constantly clanged against hard metal as they were slowly being forced back toward the healers.

"Leafa, let's do one final heal to top off everyone's HP then help out." Asuna said, earning a nod from Leafa.

"You two see if you can slow it down, I might be able to get another critical in to bring it down." Sinon offered. She quickly notched another arrow from her waist and nodded to the two healers in front of her.

Asuna and Leafa executed another healing spell and brought everyone's HP back into the green one last time. The two of them quickly equipped and drew their blades before charging in to back Klein and Kirito up.

Kirito sensed their charge and put all his strength into slamming the beast's axe into the air.

"Klein, clear out!"

The samurai slammed the Minotaur's other blade into the air before jumping backward and out of the way, letting the two lunging healers pass through.

Asuna's and Leafa's blades pierced straight through the boss's broken guard and plunged deep into the Minotaur's gut, dealing heavy damage and holding it in place.

"Sinon!" Asuna yelled.

Sinon drew back her arrow and aimed for the monster's eye again. She took a slow, deep breath in before holding it for a second then letting it out. Calmly, she spoke six words of powerful magic and bathed her notched arrow in a glowing yellow light. Without another second wasted, she let loose her arrow and it streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning.

The arrow surged through the air in an instant, like a flash of light, before burying itself deep into the red eye of the Minotaur. The extra damage, amplified by the critical hit multiplier sent the beast stumbling backward and howling in intense pain.

"Everyone! Now's your chance!" Sinon called out, noticing the boss's health drop into the final red zone.

Kirito and Klein were the first to charge, Leafa and Asuna followed up soon after, even Silica ran in followed by Liz leaping seemingly out of nowhere from her spot in the pile of bones.

The sound of sharpened metal tearing through hardened flesh filled the room as the six fairies unleashed hell onto the boss in the center of the room.

Slashing, yelling, grunts of exertion, pained howling, it was all there. Quickly, the beast's remaining health drained and disappeared into the end of its HP bar.

The Minotaur dropped its axes and fell to its knees. Its glowing red eyes lost their light as it fell back onto its heels and snapped his head up into the air. With one final roar that rattle the bones and shook the walls, the boss shattered into a million golden polygons.

The large bone filled room grew silent of any sound aside from the heavy panting coming from the members of the party.

"Well, that was easy." Kirito joked, in no time at all he received a slap to the back from Klein and Leafa.

He chuckled in self amusement and dismissed the general loot message that popped up. Nothing too good came from the drop, just a good amount of XP, Yrd, and ancient bronze armor. That was probably worth a good amount of currency. Kirito quickly walked over to the girl lying on the ground, careful not to step on any old bones that were randomly strewn across the stone ground.

Sinon was already crouching over her and checking to see if there were any interaction options.

"Is she okay?" He heard Asuna ask from behind him.

As if the girl heard her being mentioned, she began to stir her way out of unconsciousness.

Two speckled golden eyes slowly opened to reveal seven fairies leaning over her as she laid on the ground.

"W-who are you?" She asked in a small, quiet voice.

Kirito crouched down and offered the girl his hand, in it was a small black stone with a triangle carved into its surface. "You're little brother asked us to find you and bring you home."

"Tatsiki! He's alive?!" She exclaimed, hurriedly sitting herself up and snatching the stone from Kirito's palm.

"You bet he is. He's in the closest town." Klein responded to the girl's outburst.

The girl took a shaky breath and breathed a sigh of relief, "I-I thought this place was abandoned. But that monster found us and we got separated. I spent a while running, then out of nowhere the beast found me and brought me here. I guess I blacked out at some point." She explained, clutching the small black stone to her chest as she spoke.

"Well, you'll be glad to hear that we cleared this place out." Asuna said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"R-really?!" The girl responded in shock.

"Yup. It's perfectly safe and sound now." Leafa commented.

The girl's eyes went wide and she finally began looking around at all her saviors.

"Hey, what's your name?" Kirito asked in curiosity as he offered her his hand again.

She cautiously extended her own small hand and he pulled the girl to her feet, "My name's Suki."

Kirito nodded and kept a hold of her hand as he stood at her side, "Well Suki, my name's Kirito. It's time to go home. Tatsiki is worried about you."

Suki nodded in understanding and clung to Kirito's side, keeping close to him in lingering fear.

The small action did not go unnoticed by the other girls.

Before any of them could step in and take the girl into their own arms, Suki spoke up in a shaky and shy voice, "K-kirito?"

The teen looked down at the girl and hummed in acknowledgement, "Hmm? What's up?"

"T-thank you." Suki said, clutching her small fingers tightly around the small stone.

* * *

«Quest Complete!»

The Labyrinth

«Reward: 1 Golden Key»

"Here, I found this while playing in the maze. It's not much, but I don't know what to do with it. Please, take it. Thank you for bringing my sister back!" Tatsiki exclaimed as he handed Kirito a large golden key. It was around five inches in length, and had a heavy weight to it.

Kirito smiled his thanks and confirmed the quest. The entire party glowed under the effects of XP, some even leveled up from completing the quest; Silica, Klein, Liz, and Sinon to be exact.

The group smiled and waved to the two siblings. Suki had her arm over her little brother's shoulder and was happily waving to the group as they walked away. In her hand that sat behind Tatsiki's shoulder was that black stone that Kirito gave her.

"What was with that stone?" Sinon asked.

She was currently walking with Kirito at the back of the group as they let Klein and Asuna take the lead.

"Tatsiki slipped me it when he hugged me at the start of the quest. I had no idea what it was, but he whispered to me that it was important to his sister." Kirito said, his hands were deep in his pockets.

Sinon took in the information and turned to look at him, "Why didn't you tell us about it?"

Kirito glanced at her and gave the Cait Sith a humble smirk, "I didn't think it was important."

The girl's ears twitched from atop her bright powder blue hair as she flicked her tail idly behind her. She had to admit though, that was one intricately complicated NPC. In fact, everyone they've encountered seems to be more interactive than the NPCs on the mainland.

Especially that King.

No boss that they've fought before was ever as talkative or even at all interactive like he was.

Actually, no. There was only one other time where this happened. And that was during their trip into Jötunheimr for the Holy Sword Excalibur. The NPC that gave them the quest had a similar AI to the ones they've encountered thus far, here on the island.

 _Should I ask him? Technically I did win the bet, so it's fair that I get to ask._ Sinon thought, remembering back to their conversation on the boat before they arrived.

Kirito risked himself and stepped in to save her back in that icy throne room. He fended off a wave of Forsaken Shadows just for her, so that is a plausible reason to win that bet after all.

"Hey, sometime tomorrow, do you want to team up and scout out the north side of the island? Just the two of us? Maybe we can find a couple mini-bosses and test out our new abilities or something." She asked hesitantly, eyes occasionally glancing at the swordsman as she spoke.

The Spriggan hummed in thought for a few moments, running through his schedule for tomorrow and quickly came up with an answer. "Sure, I'd love to. I'm free all day actually."

"That's great!" Sinon responded, but immediately kicked herself for acting a little too excited about it.

Kirito just chuckled obliviously and noticed that Klein and Asuna were reaching the north-eastern edge of town.

He quickly jogged up to the leaders, "Hey, what's the plan?"

Klein looked ahead of them and pointed toward the direction of the nearest mountain range. The land was riddled with them. This town seemed to be cut off from the rest of the island from a range of mountains that surrounded it like a bowl. Somehow, that gave off the impression that the rest of the island was pretty mountainous as well.

"Well, Asuna and I have been talking and we've agreed that we should try and secure the next town. Villagers say that is just over the mountains to the north-east of town." Klein explained, dropping his arm back to his side and opening up his mini-map.

"Yeah, we should be able to reach and secure it by evening. That way we can have a safe place to take a break and see what the town has to offer." Asuna added in her two cents.

Kirito nodded and looked out into the sea of sand and stone, "Alright, I'm in." He agreed. "But it'll probably be harder than what Klein and I had to face in this first town."

"Eh, we got this." Klein assured.

The group headed off into the desert, leaving the sanctuary of the safe zone and quickly escaping its protective barrier. They had a long journey ahead of them. The mountain range was too high to fly over, and it would take longer to go around than to find a ravine in the cracked mountains that cuts clean through to the other side.

Ravines always come hand in hand with danger. And in a place like this, that danger is only amplified by the creatures that lurk in the mountains.

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Alright, a little shorter than the previous but still reached my 7,000 marker. It makes for a nice chapter to read. I tried to make the scenery more descriptive in this one, and you're also finding out more and more facts about this mysterious island. There's so much more to it than meets the eye, I'll tell you that much.**

 **In case you've noticed, I struggle with dialogue. Yeah, some things just come across as stale or forced and I hope you bear with me on this. I'll get better, don't worry. So I hope you enjoy the story anyway.**

 **A Minotaur? Cliché I know, but I couldn't just shove a new monster into the Labyrinth. That wouldn't be very good sportsmanship now would it? Besides, I have a ton more monsters to introduce into the story so all you need to do is wait and find out. Bosses like the Taken King will show up often.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Drop a** _ **REVIEW**_ **, I always appreciate them. Including Agent 94's, I've taken a lot of what he said into account. Some progress in my ability has been seen in this chapter as proof.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **, I hope to see you guys in the next one.**

 **Cya XP**


	4. Blacksmith

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Blacksmith

«»

"Oi, why aren't we flying?" Asked Klein, who was walking with heavy steps in the soft sand.

Kirito looked over at his red-clad friend and wordlessly pointed toward the mountain range ahead of them, "Too high to fly over."

"What about just to the base of the mountains? You know, just to get there quickly." Klein retorted, hoping to speed up the pace.

Silica hopped up to the front of the group and turned to Klein, walking backwards as she did so. "Awe Klein, where's your sense of adventure?" She asked wistfully.

The Salamander only sighed and jerked his thumb back over his shoulder, "I left it back in the Labyrinth. Too bothered to find it again."

"At which part was that? When you were the first to be taken? Or the part where you got your ass handed to you by the King himself before anyone else was taken as well?" Asuna hummed in thought. Her skill in innocently masking her words with venomous insults was impeccably brilliant.

Klein flinched under the gunshot to his pride and grumbled an incoherent excuse.

Soon, Kirito's hand plopped itself down on the now sulking samurai's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Relax man, you tried your best. We're almost there by the way."

True to the leader's words, the mountain range was dead ahead. As the group made their way forward, the size of the rocky structures began to tower over their own miniscule presence in comparison. The sandy grey mountains were rigid and cracked in every possible way. Protrusions of sharp stone outcrops and hollowed caves seemed to be abundant in the chain of broken faces of nature.

The range spanned all the way from coast to coast, surrounding the first village on three sides.

"Does anyone else feel really small right now?" Leafa asked.

The girls of the group raised their hands idly, staring up at the mass of stone.

Klein placed his hands on his hips and stared challengingly up at the rocks. His sense of adventure seemingly found its way back to his heart and lit the fuse of adrenaline.

"Meh, I've fought bigger." Kirito shrugged, dipping his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah! Daddy fought the Alpha Goliath on floor 76 all on his own! That thing could level mountains." Yui's light voice swooped through the air as she circled the group on Pina's back.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Sinon asked rhetorically, looking around at the rest of the group.

Liz let out a small laugh and pat the archer on the back, "Nothing surprises me anymore with Kirito. You should've seen him fight that dragon just so we could forge him a new sword." She giggled and looked over at the Spriggan, cracking a fond smile, "The idiot almost died protecting me."

Sinon stared at the swordsman as well, "Yeah, I can relate to that."

Liz just smiled and pat Sinon between the Cait Sith ears atop her head, "Awe look at you, already snuggling your way into Kirito's heart."

The archer fought the blush that dusted across her cheeks and made an attempt at her own retort, but something interrupted her.

A loud rumble echoed from the mountain side. It's dull thudding shook the sand beneath the group's feet and sent loose stones tumbling down the steep slopes.

The groaning noise grew louder, then quieter after a few moments. Eventually the noise dissipated all together.

"What was that?" Asuna asked.

"It sounded like a landslide, but from inside the mountains." Leafa responded.

Kirito was the first to step forward, breaking free of the hesitance that dawned on the group of fairies. His fingers danced across his virtual map for a second before resting in an idle position. There was what looked like a ravine that cut through all the way to the other side. It was nearby too.

"One of these days. There _will_ be something that scares that kid. Just you wait." Klein mumbled, moving forward and walking alongside the leader.

The two guys were quickly joined by Asuna and Sinon, and lastly by the remaining three girls. They seemed hesitant to move, all wondering what the noise was that echoed out of the cracks just moments ago.

The loose sand soon turned to hard sandstone as Kirito led the rest to the entrance of their path to the other side. It took a few minutes to reach it, but it was nothing compared to the distance they traveled to get here.

It was a little after noon now, the sun high in the sky and directly overhead. Its rays shot straight down into the rigid ravine that opened up in front of everyone.

"We need to get through this before the sun passes, or we'll be walking without much light." Kirito warned, being the first to begin walking into the gaping crack of the mountain.

The end wasn't visible from the entrance. Its crooked rock face and jagged edges curved and turned in a wide ravine that slices through the entire mountain range. It seemed to be the only way through to the other side.

Thankfully, it was wide enough to fit the entire group and then some; making it easier to traverse through it in large parties. However, the walls were unbelievably tall. Its ridges easily topped at 6,000 to 7,000 meters in height alone. The length was unknown, but it hopefully won't take too long to get through.

"Okay, _now_ I feel really small." Said Leafa, her eyes roamed upward and watched the rough stone walls pass by over her head.

"We all do." Klein commented.

Their voices seemed to resound off the tall cliff faces and softly echoed in the deep ravine.

"Maybe we should try and avoid making too much noise." Sinon spoke quietly, her eyes roaming as well.

She was eyeing the countless holes that spread out across the walls. They were too dark and deep to look into, which meant they dug deep into the mountain range. The whole thing was probably riddled with cave systems, making the entire structure unstable. But below that danger, lay the possibility of what lived inside those caves.

"She's right." Kirito agreed, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "I don't want to stay here longer than we have to." He emphasized his point by drawing his Veldi's Eostryder.

"Better safe than sorry." Klein agreed, drawing his own katana.

The group followed suit. Each member drew their blades with the exception of Sinon and Liz, she quietly drew her bow and held it at her side while Liz held her mace a little more tightly.

Tension lingered in the air as the group passed wordlessly through the first half of the ravine. If Kirito's instincts were correct, they seemed to have reached the halfway point of the journey. But even his upgraded skills weren't enough to tell how much further they had to go before they reached the end.

The ravine seemed eerily quiet.

No signs of life, no falling stones, no movements aside from the foot falls of the walking fairies. The light that shone down from the long cracked opening above sifted through the uneven walls and bathed the hard sandy ground with shadows and soft light.

It was creepy.

As the group moved onward, Kirito's gaze strayed from his map and looked upward. The sun was quickly disappearing over the wall of the ravine. They didn't have too much time left to get through this. He could easily give everyone night vision, but he was more concerned about what else had night vision in this place.

Probably something deadly.

The Cardinal System quite enjoyed that kind of thing.

It was built that way after all.

A bulky shadow passed unknowingly overhead, drifting through the air and perching itself on a high rocky outcrop far above the fairies' heads. Its glowing orange eyes were shrouded by black mist as it gazed over the jagged edge.

Kirito, to put it simply, had a growing feeling of unease. It was feint at first, but after a few minutes it started getting stronger. He was becoming more wary of his surroundings.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. It was still deathly quiet. But that didn't stop his gut from twisting and contracting at everything that moved. He was beginning to feel paranoid.

"Does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?" Klein's voice broke the dull silence.

Looks like Kirito wasn't the only one with that uneasy feeling.

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way too for ten minutes now." He agreed, keeping his black eyes roaming for anything out of the ordinary.

"Kirito, have you been watching the shadows passing by over the ravine?" Asked Sinon, her eyes staring straight up as she walked.

The Spriggan looked up, and for a sense of proving the Cait Sith's point, he noticed a shadowy bird swoop across the gap above and disappear.

"Yeah, I just thought they were birds though." Kirito responded.

"I don't think those are just birds." Yui's voice spoke up. "Daddy, they seem to be massing in numbers at high vantage points above us. I think their going to attack us."

 _Good to know. I'm glad I wasn't just paranoid then._ Kirito thought, "Thanks Yui. We'll just have to keep an eye on them. Hopefully we can get through without any of them attacking." He said, but he doubted that would be a possible outcome.

"How many?" Asked Asuna.

Yui looked up and scanned the area, "26."

"That's nothing." Spoke Klein, giving a sigh of relief.

"We don't even know what they are yet. What if those things are higher levels than us?" Asuna informed, hoping to get the point across to Klein and everyone else. They could very well be in a lot of danger.

Throughout all of this, Kirito and the rest never stopped moving forward. As they continued, his eyes stared down the gaping opening of a circular cave close to the base of the ravine in the wall. The walls were smooth, and the tunnel ran deeper than he could possibly see.

"If it gets too dangerous, we can try our luck and take cover in the caves." Klein argued.

"Bad idea Klein, you don't know what's down there." Kirito replied, finally prying his eyes away from the deep hole after passing it completely.

"30 now, and they're starting to dive!" Warned Yui's voice, her small arm pointed upward as the shadows leaping off of the rocky edges.

 _Here they come!_ Kirito reversed his grip on his blade and positioned it horizontally and out in front of him, the sharp blade pointing to his right. As soon as he got it into the right position, it began to glow blue as it charged a quick sword skill.

A shrill squawk screeched into the air as one of the birdlike monsters dove downward.

"Got it!" Shouted Sinon, meeting the bird's dive with her own glowing blue arrow.

The arrow embedded itself into one of the large bird's orange eyes and dropped it's health bar by half with a critical hit.

Seeing this, Sinon loosed a second arrow as quickly as the first, hitting it squarely in the other eye and killing it.

Just as it's body shattered, a mass of shadows overhead blocked out the light and began diving as well. They swooped down from directly above as well as from front and back of the group, completely engulfing them in a storm of black feathery beasts.

Kirito dug his boots into the hard sand as he carved his blade through one of the bird's wings before blocking a thrust of steel claws. His black blade locked with the beast's talons and pushed him back a bit.

«Ravenous Sickle»

«Level 65»

Getting a closer look at his enemy, he noticed it looked similar to a Vulture. But these seemed to be slightly larger and armored as well, much like the Shadow Crawler from before. These things had steel claws molded over their already sharp talons and had helmets of the same material as well. The armor fit snugly over the top side of their beaks and curved down into an elongated sharped point-

 _Shoot, got distracted!_ Kirito ducked under the thrust of a sharpened steel beak and tried to kick the Ravenous Sickle off of his blade. The bird flailed in a deadly flurry of clawing the air and flapping it's wings.

Deciding to follow Klein's statement from before, Kirito swung forward and pushed. He gave himself the distance needed to dive and roll beneath the beast and slash it's back through and through, carving his blade deep into the vulture's body and killing it instantly.

Now that he had a brief moment of free time, he opened his inventory and equipped Excalibur as well.

"Guys! We need to regroup here, we're too spread out!" Asuna called out over the ruckus of clashing steel and ear rattling squawks. She slashed away two Ravenous Sickles before backing her way over to Sinon.

"Everyone! Make a circle around Sinon, we need to fight together!" Kirito agreed, drawing his legendary golden sword and running over to the rest. The members were definitely spread out. Each one were constantly being bombarded by aggressive swoops from above by the circling flock of armored vultures.

"Covering-fire would be appreciated right about now!" Grunted Klein. He was busy clashing steel with two overhead vultures. He had to sacrifice some health by blocking his flank with his arm, letting ones sharp claws dig into him to stop it from hitting any vital spots.

Sinon stopped her volley of arrows into the airborne flock above and took aim at the vulture digging into Klein's arm. She quickly spoke five words of power of surged the arrow forward with added golden lighting, striking the beast in the eye and ending its life.

Klein quickly punched the vulture he was clashing with and stunned it for a brief second, he used the moment to pry his blade from its steel clutches and plunge it into its feathery chest, killing that one as well.

With Sinon's help, the rest of the members fell into a tight guarded circle around her. She was at the center, providing as much support as she could with her well placed arrows. Everyone else parried and slashed away the vultures that dove toward them, either killing them or causing them to fly back and try again.

About half of the mass of birds were extinguished so far. But there were still a little over a dozen still circling overhead.

"I'm down to my last three arrows!" Sinon informed, notching one of the three and drawing the string back.

"Hold up." Said Kirito, stopping her from wasting an arrow.

He held his blades at his sides and pointed them at the ground, "They stopped."

"What do you mean they stopped? Their still circling up there." Said Klein.

Sinon relaxed her draw and let out a slow breath, "Yeah, but they stopped attacking."

The circling Ravenous Sickles were doing just that, circling. They stopped swooping down and clashing with the fairies. They were just flying now, as if they were noticing how futile attacking was.

"Maybe they gave up?" Asked Liz, shifting slightly and letting her mace fall to her side.

"No way. That's not how this game works." Kirito said. _They're waiting…but for what?_

He finished that thought and watched the remaining enemies above in rising tension. They were still circling. They were doing what vultures do best after all, scavenge.

But usually, they scavenge what's already dead.

They wouldn't waste the energy to attack unless…they knew their target was dead meat walking.

Which means, they had no intention of killing the fairies.

 _Stalling! They were stalling!_ "Move!" Kirito yelled, but it was too late.

The ground beneath their feet began to hum and rumble, the shaking was subtle at first but it quickly picked up until it was violently shaking beneath the group's boots. The loose sand that littered the rocky surface began to bounce and drift, sifting into cracks that opened up in the ground and in the walls.

The loud groaning of crumbling rocks from deep within the mountain walls echoed loudly out of the numerous open caves surrounding the group of friends.

Whatever it was, it shook the ground so forcefully it caused the members of the team to lose balance and collapse to the ground. Kirito had to dig one of his blades into the sand and fall to his knee in order to keep himself from falling entirely over.

"Something's coming!" Yui exclaimed, quickly floating from Pina's back and ducking into the safe confines of Kirito's chest pocket.

The sound of crushing stone shook the walls of the ravine, causing rocks to fall from its rigid slopes and crash downward around the fairies below. Asuna had to roll out of the way to avoid being crushed by a large mass of jagged rocks. The fallen stones shattered and began vibrating across the ground due to the still rumbling earth.

Just as the sound began to reach deafening levels, it seemed to cease for a few seconds. The rumbling stopped, the sound of crumbling stone grew quiet.

It was only for a few seconds though.

Above the group, a massive ghostly white worm broke through the wall and sent an explosion of falling rocks down onto the recovering fairies. The sudden entrance dropped some of their health bars into the red and yellow ranges.

Asuna and Leafa had to switch out and begin casting healing spells, just to bring the team members' health back up into the green.

The massive worm's mouth had rotating rows of sharp teeth circling through its large maw. Its mouth seemed to be made of four portions, each one built with extra muscle to tear through stone. It split into quarters, giving it the ability to open wide and crush anything it could pull into it's gaping maw of seven sets of teeth.

«Burrowing Maw»

«Level 85»

Despite its size, it didn't seem to have more than two health bars.

"Everyone scatter!" Someone yelled, but it wasn't important as to who said it. It was _why_ they said it.

Everyone dove outward just in time to avoid the massive Burrowing Maw's crushing form plunging into the ground where they all once laid. The worm easily ate through the stone and began disappearing into the ground. It's white body flowing behind it as it ate through the rocks below.

Its body looked to be about ten to fifteen meters in diameter alone, and its length was quickly falling from its original hole and vanishing into its new hole in the ground. After what seemed like minutes, the worm disappeared completely, leaving behind nothing but a massive gaping hole.

Kirito looked up and noticed the mass of vultures swooping in again.

"Heads up! Don't get distracted!"

Kirito leapt to his feet and drove his blades through a few passing vultures, severing their wings and slashing through some of their bodies. He grounded them enough for the teammates behind him to finish them off.

"The Burrowing Maw is coming back!" Yui warned.

"Guys, time to go!" Klein called out, overhearing Yui's light voice.

Moving around the deep rumbling hole in the ground, the team regrouped and began running forward. As they ran, they had to fend off random attacks from the vultures above who followed their every move.

"Just a few more minutes and we're out!" Kirito called over his shoulder. He could just barely make out the light at the end of the ravine.

The amount of Ravenous Sickles was dwindling now. Only about eight of them remained, but their attacks slowed again as they group neared the exit.

They could feel and hear the rumbling getting louder again. Which meant the giant worm circled around and was hot on their tracks now.

They needed to get out of here.

Just as Kirito cut the final corner and saw the desert through the end of the ravine, he was immediately blocked off by the Burrowing Maw crumbling out of the ground in front of him and forcing him to skid to a stop.

It didn't have eyes, but it could still sense them somehow.

The massive worm crushed the remaining stones in its mouth and fell forward, nearly crushing the avatars of Kirito and Klein as everyone scurried backward in the now narrow ravine.

Its white body entirely blocked off the way out from wall to wall.

"Any ideas?!" Klein asked as he stumbled to his feet, trying not to look into the gaping maw of rotating teeth. If anything, he was backing away from it.

And so was everyone else.

"Yeah, I may have something. But once I do it, everyone needs to hit it with everything they've got!" Said Kirito as he spawned in his wings and took flight.

Immediately, the giant worm responded and tracked his movements.

Kirito surged through the air, high over the Burrowing Maw and dove beyond it. The teen punched through the remaining vultures that circled overhead and kept flying. The massive worm quickly followed the swordsman and made a lunge to bite him out of the air, only to swallow a mouthful of chewy vultures.

In no time at all, it gnarled the beasts down and continued lunging after Kirito.

"Now!" His voice echoed off the walls as he barely dodged the rows of teeth intent on tearing him apart. To keep it distracted, he slashed across whatever flesh he could as he continued to dodge in the air.

Everyone below unleashed sword skills into the body of the distracted worm.

Klein's katana flared with orange flames as he plunged it deep into the belly of the beast. Asuna and Leafa followed up with their twin combo of quick lashes before backing off and letting Silica drop in from above to slice her poisonous daggers down the length of its body. Liz followed the small Cait Sith after being using as a stepping stone for the initial leap, she powerfully charged forward with a glowing shield and bashed it into the worms body. Her charge was followed up with a crushing swing of a mace as well. Lastly, Sinon notched her last three arrows and spaced them out between her fingers. She breathlessly spoke eight words of power before loosing all three.

The team's attacks plunged the worm's health bars into the red. Its first health bar shattered quickly and the second dropped just as fast. Sinon's arrows finished the Burrowing Maw off as the embedded projectiles surged with glowing orange light and exploded in a fiery ploom of flames and smoke.

The massive worm slammed itself into the walls and came crashing down on the opposite side of the group of friends. Its limp body shook the ground as it heavily collided into the rivine floor. Moments later, it shattered into countless golden polygons and dissipated completely.

As a sign to prove that the fighting was over, everyone in the party noticed loot messages popping up in front of everyone's avatars.

"Huh, that felt easy." Kirito commented, landing in front of his friends in the ravine.

Klein waved his hand dismissively and began pushing the swordsman forward, "Can we discuss this _after_ we're safely out of this death trap?"

The party members jogged their way out of the massive ravine and into the sandy desert on the other side.

It wasn't until they were far beyond the entrance when they finally stopped jogging and slowed to a stop.

"Whoa, are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" Leafa asked in awe, her eyes locked onto the town in the distance.

Contrary to the desolate town they encountered the first time, this one seemed to be much more well-built and…

…populated.

Even at this distance, they could make out some movement on the outer walls of the town.

No, this was a city. Not a town.

The outer walls were built from bricks of sandstone. They circled around the outer perimeter of a massive structure of buildings. The closer you got to the center of the city, the taller the buildings got. And they seemed to grow denser as well the further you looked into the city and over the walls.

The outer walls weren't the only surrounding walls however. There was an inner ring of walls, surrounding the dense mass of buildings at its center.

That was the extent of what they could see from where they stood.

"Let's check it out. It has to be the next city." Kirito suggested.

Seeing no objections, he began leading everyone to what looked to be the front gate. But as they got closer, they noticed something wrong with the walls.

There were a few holes in the defenses where something pushed through the wall's base and caused the walkway on top to collapse and leave an opening.

In fact, the movement they saw was guards posted near the holes in the walls to prevent things from getting in. And below there were groups of workers who were busy trying to rebuild the weakened defenses.

In total, they were able to see at least four collapsed portions of the exterior wall as they approached the gate.

"Halt! State your business or be forced to leave!" A deeper voiced NPC called out from his position in front of the large iron gateway.

He had an iron helmet that looked like some sort of variation of a Barbuta helmet. He was wearing a sleeveless ragged shirt with iron shoulder guards and chest plates. They were connected by leather straps. His forearms also had leather bracers on them and his hands were fit snuggly in fingerless gloves. He also wore a gladiator styled heavy cloth skirt with some strips of metal running down its length. Lastly were his sandaled feet.

He seemed to be rather tanned as well.

"Uh, we've come to help. You seem to have some discrepancies in your defensive wall." Kirito responded to the guard posted at the gate.

"We wouldn't need help if it weren't for you outsiders attacking our city!" The NPC responded.

 _Outsiders?_

Sinon stepped forward and stood beside Kirito, "Wait, who attacked this place?"

The guard looked at the girl with a confused glare and seemed rather annoyed by her question, "What do you mean _who_?! He come's blasting through with his army of monsters and stealing _our_ resources. The blacksmiths inside have enough trouble trying to fix the buildings themselves, they don't have enough for the walls out here."

"So this is a city of blacksmiths?!" Liz spoke up, her interest rising.

"Yes." The guard responded in a grumble, "And we're not fighters. Very few of us can even fight back; we can only bolster our defenses and wait out any onslaught."

He seemed to be less peeved now. Maybe his anger was just misplaced.

"Well, we can help you with that. Just tell us what we need to do." Said Asuna, as she stepped forward as well.

The guard's eyes scanned across the faces and weaponry of the fairies in front of him. His gloved hand rested idly on the hilt of his broadsword at his waist for a few seconds before dropping to his side.

"Very well, we need the help anyway. Go inside, seek out the master blacksmith and they'll tell you what we need you to do. After that, you'll have access to our inns to rest up if you need it." The NPC spoke evenly before stepping to the side and slamming his fist against the wall of iron.

"Open the gate!"

Moments later, the gateway creaked and groaned as the massive doorway split at its center and opened inward, revealing a large street-like pathway that lead into the inner walls. The group stepped inside and moved onward, not stopping to watch the gate close behind them.

"Well, I guess this is different than what you guys had to go through." Sinon commented toward the guys.

Kirito and Klein just looked at each other and shrugged, "I guess we can't fight off waves of enemies with every town we secure." Kirito spoke.

Klein sighed and nodded his head, "It was kinda fun though."

Behind the outer walls was a wide open area of land with countless metal spikes and pitfalls littering the ground. The traps were literally everywhere in the area between the outer walls and the inner walls.

"I guess that's just added insurance?" Klein asked, eyeing the sharp metal protruding from the ground.

"Probably new. Considering they were recently attacked, these are most likely counter measures." Liz informed, running her hand across the recently forged metal of a passing spike.

The group quickly approached sandstone stairs that lead upward onto a second level of the city. It seemed the inner walls encompassed a raised platform for the buildings themselves. It's actually quite a nice height advantage for a defense stand point.

Which also explains how they could see the buildings over the outer walls so easily.

The central staircase soon stopped and the path led them deeper into the city itself. They passed by numerous weapons and armor vendors and eventually reached the tallest building in the entire city. The building was more like a tower, actually. Each building was build out of sandstone with metal doors and stone flattop roofs. Some of the buildings on the way through the city seemed to have been ransacked with a few walls missing.

Loose stones littered the ground here and there, probably from the broken walls and buildings. NPCs were hard at work repairing the damage done, and were far too busy to even acknowledge the group's presence.

"Do we just…knock?" Asked Klein, eyeing the metal door at the base of the tall cylindrical tower.

Without responding to Klein's question, Kirito stepped forward and banged his fist against the iron door.

Almost immediately, the door opened and a young woman was revealed on the other side. She had her brown hair tide in a long pony tail and her attire was much like the guard's at the gate. However, she sported two long daggers on her waste and much more feminine shaped plate armor across her chest.

She also lacked the helmet as well.

"Can I help you?" The NPC asked.

Seeing how Klein was locked up and was about to do his usual 'suave' introduction, Kirito quickly stepped forward and in front of the stuttering man.

"Hey, I don't suppose you're the head blacksmith we've come to help are you?" The Spriggan asked, completely cutting off Klein.

He felt the Salamander jab him in the back but brushed it off for the pain absorber to take instead.

"Oh, you must be the fairies the leader has been talking about. My name's Asaki." The woman spoke in a lighter than expected voice.

She looked to be in around her twenties, perfect for Klein. And she also had a fighter in her, probably the head blacksmith's personal guard.

She seems nice too.

 _Did he know we were coming?_ "Wait, you said he already knew we were going to come here?" Sinon asked, noticing what the woman was implying.

Asaki smiled and simply stepped aside, letting everyone file into the tower before closing the door.

She wordlessly led the group up the spiraling stairs and eventually came across another large archway. Through that was a large chamber with a balcony at two opposite sides. Up top seemed to be some sort of large emerald green dome that covered the tower, in the middle of the dome was a hole. In the center of the room was a circular centralized forge, which was currently spewing smoke out of said hole.

It had a single forging station off on the other side of the arch way and a large work table curved across the back wall. On the wall were countless hammers, intricate blades, sets of armor, numerous styles of weapons, and sheets of metal.

Past the large anvil and through the fire and the flames, a young girl was currently slamming a hammer into a long glowing sword. After a few more swings, she dunked the metal into a deep bucket of water then slid it into a stone compartment off to the side, inside it were more flames.

"Now I just gotta let that sit for a few hours before I sharpen it." She mumbled to herself as she turned and addressed her visitors.

She was around 15 years old and had short scruffy pink hair. The hair reached slightly past her ears but kept its unkempt rough look to it. Her nimble hands reached up and grabbed hold of the scorched goggles covering her eyes. Moving them up to rest in her hair, she gave an amused smile toward the group of bewildered fairies in the archway.

Her sky blue eyes twinkled with amusement as she wiped her hands on her already dirty sleeveless white shirt, eventually going down and patting the pockets of her tan cargo pants.

She also seemed to be wearing black boots as well.

"Took you guys long enough! What took yah?" She asked, furthering the confused expressions gracing most of the party member's faces.

"How did you-"

"Irrelevant!" The girl quickly interrupted whoever it was that was about to ask the million dollar question and brushed it off like it was nothing.

"Now, I need you and you..." She pointed to Liz and Leafa, "…to go and help the local blacksmiths whip up some new metal support beams for the outer walls."

To everyone's surprise, she was already dishing out what needed to be done.

"Come now, off with you!" The girl sighed, "You'll find them just south of the tower."

She made a cute shooing motion, prompting the two in question to leave and follow her orders.

"Now that that's settled, I need you and you to handle gathering up the escaped Rapitarus. Seriously, they always find a way to bust out of their pen. They're probably in the streets somewhere, who knows." Again, she sighed and pointed to Klein and Silica. "You're the beast tamer so it should be easy getting them all back into their pen. There should be nineteen of them buggas."

She walked forward and shooed the samurai and beast tamer out of the room, "Pen's on the east side of town, you can't miss it!"

Brushing her hands and walking back to the front of the pack, she looked over the remaining members of the party.

"Now then, Kirito was it?"

Surprised to hear his name, Kirito looked at the odd girl and tensed up.

"Awe, don't be like that." She gave a sweet smile and bounced on the balls of her feet, "I need you and those two to go out and gather as much ore from the Burrowing Maws as you can. You can probably lure them out of the mountains and kill them out in the open, should be plenty easier than what you did back there." She commented, sticking out her tongue as she did so.

"Wait, you want just us three to kill as many of those things as we can?" Kirito asked in disbelief.

To their astonishment, the girl gave an amused and knowing look, "Of course silly. They eat through that mountain, meaning they eat rock and ore. I need that ore added to the city's recently depleted supply of materials to be smelted." She explained as if it was obvious.

"They don't even have that much health. Just poke 'em with a sharp stick and they dead! Kapeesh?" The head blacksmith elaborated, ending with an odd way to ask for understanding.

Kirito struggled and tensed up even more under the girl's gaze before finally relenting, "Uhh, I guess we can do that."

"Awesome! When you're done you can help your friends gather up the remaining Rapitarus." The little girl exclaimed before nodding to Asaki.

The woman smiled and gestured for the remaining three to leave.

Asuna and Sinon left in awkward silence, not really knowing what else to do. Kirito was about to follow them when he felt a strong tug on his sleeve as he made a move to turn.

"Nuh uh, not yet. Hand it ovah!" The girl commanded, holding out her hand palm faced up.

Kirito looked down at her dainty hand; her fingers kept opening and closing in the 'give it' motion as she stared at him impatiently.

"Hand wha-"

"Veldi's Eostryder dummy!"

 _Huh?_ Kirito was taken aback by the girl's knowledge of his current weapon. What was he supposed to do, just hand it over? It took him forever just to get the damn thing to drop. And floor 66 isn't exactly the coolest floor of Aincrad.

And he wasn't talking about looks. That floor is hot as hell!

The girl in front of him seemed to be growing more impatient as she began bouncing again.

"What do you plan to do with it?" He asked, hoping she won't break it somehow.

She smiled wider and extended her arms in a wide gesture while spinning around, "I'm a master blacksmith! What do you expect?!"

 _An upgrade?_ Kirito thought. _But Liz did everything she could to it already…_

The head blacksmith stopped spinning and glared at him, making the same cute hand motion as before, "Now 'gimme!"

Reluctantly and hesitantly, Kirito reached up and slowly pulled his sword off his back; sheath and all.

With a great amount of inner turmoil and second thoughts, he reached out and dropped the weapon into the awaiting girl's hands.

She gave a thankful smile and walked over to the work station. Taking the blade out of the sheath as she walked, she gently placed the sheath onto the metal table and turned to the forge…

…then unceremoniously lobbed the blade into the raging fire.

"H-hey!" Kirito exclaimed, running toward the forge intent on taking his sword back out.

"Daddy, wait."

Yui floated out of his pocket and planted herself in front of his face, causing him to skid to a stop.

"You're little flying girl is right. I'm not destroying it if that's what you're wondering." The girl spoke over her shoulder as she grabbed a large pair of metal tongs from her work bench; goggles already back over her eyes.

"Then what are you doing?" Kirito asked hurriedly.

Keeping silent, the blacksmith simply slipped two thick heat resistant gloves on and grabbed the tongs. She wordlessly made her way over to the burning sword in the furnace and waited.

She seemed to be watching it burn.

To be completely honest, this was probably the first time Kirito has ever wanted to hurt an NPC that wasn't an enemy. She didn't warn him or anything about what she was doing, and it bugged him that she's keeping quiet about it.

That feeling quickly vanished when he saw what was happening to his blade.

What the lore of the weapon labeled as dragon bones, looked to be melting away under the strain of the heat from the fire.

He leaned forward and stared at his sword in confusion, "What the…"

"Yeah, I can't believe you've been fighting with the cover on the whole time." Commented the girl in front of him, she was still watching the sword burn.

"Wait? That was a cover?" _Since when has that ever been in the game? I don't remember seeing any information on anything like an outer shell being a part of a weapon._ He thought, wondering what exactly was going on with Veldi's Eostryder.

Idle humming was muffled by the flames and whining metal as the blacksmith waited for her moment to pull the blade out. A little over a minute passed before she reached in with her tongs and grabbed the blade.

She pulled out Kirito's sword; glowing orange and appeared to be sleeker and slimmer in design. The glow quickly dissipated, as if being absorbed into the metal itself and cooling itself off in mere seconds.

With a proud smile, she grabbed the once burning handle and laid it out on the work table.

"The handle needs a new wrapping, but other than that it looks like it's supposed to." The girl said, as she looked the blade over.

Carefully, Kirito made his way over and gazed at his new blade's appearance.

He leaned over his sword and took in its new shining beauty. The black metal gleamed under the glow of the flaming forge. It now held a sleek, long double edged black blade that extended into a long point at the end. The black metal seemed to have some sort of ancient text etched into the blade's length that glowed gold for a few seconds before dissipating, leaving a light engraving behind. The hilt was intricately designed to curve at the ends in opposite directions, like a curved rhombus shape. The handle was metal, and the previous wrappings were burned off. But it was straight and long, leaving room for two hands up until the smooth round weighted pommel.

Over all, it looked even cooler than before.

"What did you mean by what you said?" Kirito asked, whipping the drool from the corner of his mouth at the new appearance of his Veldi's Eostryder.

"Don't call me 'you'. My name's Vel." The girl cut in as she began shuffling around on her long table for something.

She finally stumbled across a roll of cloth and skipped back over to Kirito and his blade. The girl took the sword into her hands and began wrapping the cloth around the handle tightly.

"Let me ask you something, Kirito…" Vel began. "…have you ever wondered what would happen if you took iron that was mined from hell and smelted it in the holy forges of heaven?" Vel asked, finishing her wrapping of the handle as she spoke.

"Veldi's Eostryder is a weapon specifically built to clash between Angels and Demons. It was forged by Fallen Angels. They created a masterpiece that broke all rules of balance. They forged a weapon that could kill Demons and Angels alike, and absorb their energy into the unholy blade of power." She explained.

Kirito was, simply put, incredibly interested in his blade's new-found lore now.

"This was the only catastrophe to have ever forced The Devil himself and The God of Heaven to join forces. They banished the blade into the depths of the mortal world, keeping it far away from the clutches of Fallen Angels and leaving it in the hands of a mighty guardian. Veldi. He proved time and time again that he was worthy of protecting such a weapon. Veldi was the strongest and most honorable warrior to ever live. No foe was ever able to bring him to his knees in battle. And so, he was the first to officially create lasting world peace. He lived his life around that very blade, until eventually it was time he left the mortal world completely. In his last moments of life, he disguised the blade with a false appearance and cast it deep into the Kronos Sea."

 _Wait, that doesn't make sense. Where I found it was a barren and hot dry wasteland._ Floor 66 of Aincrad was the complete opposite of an ocean.

"However, what Veldi didn't account for was the power that the blade possessed. It was used in a way against the mighty powers of this world, and it has already claimed countless souls; both corrupted and pure. As centuries passed, the blade slowly burned beneath the waves of that ocean. It wanted to be found. And so, it was. Over the centuries, it slowly burned away the ocean. Completely evaporating the water and rendering the Kronos Sea into nothing but a dry wasteland."

 _Oh._

"Unholy Titans grew attracted to the power of Veldi's Eostryder. They wandered into the new wasteland and claimed the blade as their own. Never once did they part with it, until now." Vel finished her explanation of the lore.

She happily eyed the blade and handed it over to its rightful owner.

Kirito took the black longsword into his hands and noticed the subtle change in weight.

Vel picked up the black sheath as well and handed that over to Kirito, "The sheath should still fit perfectly, if you're wondering."

"Um, thank you?" Kirito said unsurely, taking his sheath and sliding his blade into it. Like she said, it fit perfectly. He really didn't know what to say. "How…did you know all that?"

Vel looked at Kirito before giving him a small prideful smile. She started bouncing on the balls of her feet again, causing the loose strands of pink hair on her head to bounce around as well.

"I'm Veldi's descendent. He's my ancestor."

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Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Hmm, cool lore or no? I thought it was pretty cool. For those of you who didn't catch on, the lore to Kirito's blade was masked (aka faked) to disguise the blade and give it a different appearance. More will be explained, don't worry. There's actually a lot more to that blade than Vel explained. What do you guys think of Vel by the way? And for those of you who were wondering how she knew about Kirito and his friends, well that's a story for another time.**

 **She's fun that way.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next will be slightly comedic, I hope. Everyone will be doing their own little things that they've been tasked to do.**

 **Should be interesting.**

 **Rapitarus, plural for Rapitaru. You'll understand why their named that way once you see them.**

 _ **REVIEW**_ **, please tell me what you think. Everything and anything you say is very much appreciated. I thank all of you who do leave reviews, you are all awesome for doing that.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **the story. Plenty more to come.**

 **Cya XP**


	5. Mounted

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Mounted

«»

"Wait, wait, wait." Kirito exclaimed, hands waving rapidly in front of his face.

"Hmm?" Responded Vel.

"You're related to the person who owned this blade?" He continued, holding up his newly revealed sword as emphasis.

The girl tilted her head, pink hairs dangling loosely as she stared at him, "Yeppers."

 _That still doesn't explain how she knows all of the blade's lore._ "O-okay." Sighing, Kirito rubbed the back of his neck and hauled his sheath over his shoulder; re-fitting it across his back.

"Right, so are you his only descendant?" He asked.

Vel paused before placing the tongs back onto the wall. Whether that be to think, or as some sort of reaction to Kirito's question, he wasn't sure.

"As far as I know." Vel gave him his answer, and after a few seconds returned to what she was doing. "I believe I gave you a job?"

As if delayed up until this point, the quest acceptance message popped up in front of Kirito and the rest of the party members.

«Quest: The Way of the Blacksmith»

Type: Gather Materials/Crafting/Rally Mounts

Help Vel restore her City.

«Accept - Decline»

Below the quest objectives was an extra line of text.

« _Bonus Reward: Complete ALL objectives within an hour. Party Requirements: 10 maximum_ »

 _Within an hour? Not only do we have to hunt 25 of those Burrowing Maws, but all those other jobs as well? Smelting and rounding up the city's pets?_ Kirito accepted the message and left through the arch way.

…

"Sounds easy enough." He muttered as he gave a small wave over his shoulder, "We'll be back in an hour or less." Kirito called out before jogging down the spiraling stairs.

At the base, he met up with Sinon and Asuna. Asaki was leaning against the rounded wall by the door.

"We should hurry if we wanna get the bonus reward." He stated, brushing past the two girls and opening the door next to the third.

"Do you even know what it is?" Asked Sinon, following quickly behind the swordsman.

Kirito looked back over his shoulder and smirked, "Nope. But it sounds fun."

He led the two girls down the stairs and through the main street of the city, rapidly approaching the front gate leading out into the desert.

* * *

"Within an hour, eh?" Klein stared down at the message in front of him as he walked alongside Silica. "That's crazy!"

Silica looked up at him, Pina resting on her head, "If we hurry, we can make it. We just have to be efficient rounding up whatever these beasts are."

Klein sighed and pressed accept on the message. In the bottom right of his HUD he noticed a timer appear, 56:39.

"Four minutes have already gone by?!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Well, you _were_ the last one to accept the message. I'm sure everyone else hit accept right away, so the timer probably started then and there." Silica informed, looking down in thought slightly.

 _Yeah, what if we waited though? Could we have extended the time a bit if we all accepted as late as possible?_ Klein wondered, running a hand through his hair.

He let out another sigh and turned to his temporary partner, giving her a toothy smile and a thumbs up, "Might as well give it our best."

Right as Klein took his next step, a blur of bright red dashed past an open alley behind Silica. His walk faltered and he continued staring down that alley.

A second black blur shot past, following the first.

"K-klein?"

"Let's split up!" Klein sputtered out as he sprinted into that alley and ran through it, taking a hastened turn to the left and skidding on the sandy stone at its end.

His eyes locked onto the long thick tail of some sort of large scaly lizard. Its hind legs were larger than its much smaller arms, and it seemed to be lunging forward on its two back legs. A white bone and cloth covered saddle was draped securely across its back.

Large claws scraped the stones as the beast bolted to the right, making an easy ninety degree turn and keeping up with its partner moving quickly in front of it.

"Damn it, how am I supposed to keep up with these things?!" Klein exclaimed, skidding on his boots and slamming into the wall at the turn. He pushed off without missing a beat and sprinted after his targets.

His brown eyes watched as the two ostrich-sized dinosaur-like lizards disappeared around the next bend.

"Oh come on!"

The salamander summoned his fairy wings and took off over the flat roofs topping the alleyway. He quickly re-acquired his targets and swopped in at a much faster speed, taking shorter diagonal routes over the roof tops.

Dodging a laundry line of draping clothes, he kept up with the Rapitarus below him. In the distance, by the edge of the inner city, he noticed the buildings were few and far between. There were crops growing corn, some bean crops, maybe melons too. He really couldn't tell, but they were all foods capable of growing in the warm climate of the desert.

Between two of the large stone farm-houses was a barren pen fenced off with tall stone walls. The metal front gate was wide open, and the bar latching it closed had large scratch marks on it. It was dangling off at the side of the gate.

"Smart too." Klein noted, gliding parallel to the pen and keeping a bead on where the cage was. "But not enough to fool me."

Diving down, Klein flew to the end of the alleyway and blocked the Rapitarus' path of escape.

Widening his stance slightly and extending his hand; palm pointed at the rapidly approaching beasts and fingers loosely extended. He hardened his gaze and hoped for the best.

"Sto-"

They leapt over Klein's body and continued running.

The second one looked back and roared, mocking the salamander they just blew by.

 _What is that?! Tortoises having sex?_ Klein ignored the fear inducing echoing noise, and the snickering coming afterward. Snickering? Can lizards snicker?

He shook his head and took flight again, taking off through the air like he did before. The samurai noticed three other Rapitarus dashing through an alley across to the right, heading the other way.

"This is going to be a while." Klein grumbled. His gaze followed the three running the other way, trying to make sense of the general area they were running to.

A lone pale blue Rapitaru stood on its hind legs, neck and head tilted upward as its snout was stuck in a woven basket. It snapped into the basket, trying to get whatever it was inside.

Its dark blue slit eyes opened to see a quickly approaching red samurai. The new target was flying straight for the curious lizard.

Giving up on its current task, the Rapitaru ducked and scampered off the roof, leaving the basket spinning in the air. Klein, distracted, unceremoniously slammed into the airborne basket and somehow managed to get the thing stuck on his head.

"Hey!" Klein's muffled voice was dwarfed by the following crash. His body disappeared into the tall building's window in front of his blind flying form. The sound of glass shattering and large objects tumbling around dully shot out of the open window, finishing with the sudden shriek of a cat.

The Rapitaru to blame landed gracefully on its clawed hind legs and joined the original two below. It synced up with them and sounded out its presence with another roar out of its sharp tooth ridden jaws.

The leader roared up into the air, accepting the third member and took the next turn.

* * *

43:28.

"That makes nine!" Asuna's voice called out over the noise of the shattering death animation.

"16 to go, we're making good progress." Said Kirito, his boots touching down next to Asuna.

The healer nodded and swiped her glistening blade through the air, tempted to sheath it. "It's only been 17 minutes. If we keep this up, we'll be done with 10 minutes to spare."

Kirito nodded and looked toward the ravine. Sinon was kiting back another burrowing maw, aggroing it with an arrow or two every once in a while to keep it tracking her.

"Here comes our next guest." Kirito noted, readying his Veldi's Eostryder. The sword gleamed with a stronger blue light than before, causing the ancient text to glow a bright blue as well.

Asuna took notice of their third teammate as well and smiled, "Shall we?"

Sinon skidded to a stop a few meters from the two of them and loosed a green binding arrow. "We're all set!"

"We shall." Kirito nodded his thanks and surged forward, kicking up the sand in his wake. His coat whipped behind him as he slid under the giant worm's first crushing slam. He cleaved his glowing sword through the beast's side and continued past it, continuing his consecutive slashes across its back.

Asuna followed up with a speedy plunge of her blade deep into the burrowing maw's front, driving it up in an upward slash before backing off. The giant worm thrashed around, swinging it's upper body in a wide circular motion in hopes of crushing the two fairies attacking it.

Kirito leapt over the attack and landed on the spinning worm's back, digging his blade in to keep him steady. The burrowing maw screeched in anger and slammed its back into the sand, trying to crush the spriggan on its back.

Kirito had kicked off moments before and let the beast crash into the ground, exposing its front again. Asuna was already up in the air when the mob hit the ground, so her falling form met it soon after in a confrontation of lightning fast lunges.

The swordsman slashed at its sides from his spot on the ground, noticing as the occasional blue arrow embedded itself into the beast.

In one final assault, Kirito's blade shrouded itself in a black mist as he slashed apart the rest of the burrowing maw's health with his dark 9-hit combo. _Shadow Burn._

The black longsword streaked with shadowy trails as he spun in his spot. His blade dug into flesh then redirected for the next swing in a sequence of spins and flips. As he took his last swipe, Asuna and Sinon landed their own attacks and instantly plunged the last health bar into nothingness.

"And boom! Asuna you're up." Kirito turned back to catch a nod from Asuna before she took off for the ravine.

He stepped back and checked the loot message; scattered golden polygons dissipated beyond the info. _39 iron ore, 11 gold ore, and 27 silver ore. Alongside the Maw Meat and experience, this one was loaded._ "Wow, nice catch Sinon." Kirito complimented, dismissing the message and stepping over to the archer.

"Thanks, I guess I got lucky." Sinon smiled, actually quite proud of the resources they got out of this one. "Hunting these things are easier than I thought it would be."

Kirito nodded, "Yeah, we _may_ have over reacted a bit in our first encounter." He had to admit it, but Vel was right. A sharp stick would be enough to kill these things.

If used efficiently.

And as long as it's unbreakable.

Sinon laughed a bit and agreed with him, "Well, we _did_ have a flock of murderous birds above us."

"True." Kirito sighed and let the tip of his blade sink into the sand, "Makes me wonder why they grouped up like that. It's not how aggro works."

In technical terms, they should've attacked one by one when someone entered each bird's range. Not wait for reinforcements and attack in a group. Granted, some mobs spawn in groups to even out weak levels with numbers. But still, that shouldn't have happened.

"Maybe this island just has different AI in the mobs." Sinon offered. "I mean, it already has more advanced NPCs. So who's to say the mobs are any less upgraded?"

 _I guess that makes sense, from what we can tell, this may be a world quest anyway._ "Makes sense. But we won't know for sure until it's officially posted." Commented Kirito.

Once the Admins look into the system, they should be able to find the code for the newly generated land and post some update news to the public. Once that happens, the forums will explode and everyone in Alfheim Online will look to the island.

 _Looks like we might run out of time._ Thoughts aside, Kirito noticed Asuna emerge from the mountains leading back two burrowing maws.

Wait.

 _Two?_

"Well this should be interesting." Kirito commented, dropping into a low stance and activating his wings.

"No kidding." Sinon agreed.

The two giant worms were plunging in and out of the sand at a speed equal to Asuna's light sprint. The beasts were diving out of the ground in shallow arcs before plunging back in, only to give them the momentum to breach the surface again.

"And here…" Kirito leaned forward a bit, signaling Sinon to do the same. She summoned in her own light blue wings as well. "…we…" Positioning his black sword downward and to the right a bit, he opened and hopped through his menu with deft skill to quickly equip Excalibur.

"…go." The swordsman ended with a gust of wind and scattered sand. Small craters in the sand quickly filled as he kicked off, dashing through the air just above the surface of the desert. The sand beneath him dispersed as he shot through the air, dual wielding his two blades.

Sinon leapt into the air as well, surging much higher than the spriggan and notching another blue arrow from the quiver on her waist. The height advantage should definitely make her shots easier to land.

Kirito reversed the grip on his Eostryder and flew between the two mobs as they surfaced, spinning in his aerial spot. The reversed blade followed up the leading golden sword as he created a sharp cyclone, slashing into the two passing beings.

The burrowing maws quickly dove deep into the ground, burying them into the sand to become temporarily untouchable.

"Well, this is new." Asuna commented, flying over to Kirito.

"New attack?" Kirito offered.

"Not sure."

They hovered above the ground, gazing down and trying to locate the giant worms. The loud rumbling they do in the mountain is thanks to the crushing of stones in their maws. So traveling through sand creates a buffer of silence, making them unpredictable.

"Guys! Split, now!" Sinon called out, shattering the silence.

Sand beneath where Kirito and Asuna was stirring, vibrating into shifts and bouncing the loose sand crystals.

The two kicked off from one another just as one of the burrowing maws shot out of the ground. Its rotating teeth flooded with sand as it towered into the air at full length.

Rivers of sand poured from its mouth as it whirled around, slamming itself into Kirito as he tried to dodge. The simple size of the worm was too big an obstacle to glide out of the way of.

Blocking as best he could from the power attack, Kirito was slammed into a sand dune and disappeared into a cloud the impact kicked up.

Asuna saw the next attack coming, thanks to Kirito's excellent leading example, and dropped below the maw's rotating swing. She slashed at the passing body and dealt as much damage as she could.

Before long, Kirito blasted out of his personal sand cloud and drove his two swords into the base of the worm; just above the sandy ground.

The two of them made quick work of the mob's health bars.

As the two attacked, Sinon kept an eye out for the second burrowing maw. She payed attention for any more sand dispersions, but nothing seemed to be moving.

"Sinon!" Kirito called out, trying his best to redirect the lunging worm. His swords weren't enough, only slashing through the tough exterior of the beast.

Snapping to the voice, Sinon noticed two things. One: someone turned off the lights. Two: the plethora of sharp, rotating teeth slowly closing around her.

"Kirito?!" She exclaimed, wondering why he didn't warn her sooner. A muffled "sorry" slipped through the walls as Sinon jabbed an arrow into the mob's throat; behind the deadly teeth.

Anchoring herself with a second arrow, she looked over her shoulder at the bow strewn across her back and sighed in annoyance, "I really need a sword."

Kirito and Asuna slashed rapidly at the receding burrowing maw, working overtime on getting their friend out.

"Get me out of this thing!"

It was muffled, but the two heard it.

"Working on it!" Kirito yelled back. It didn't matter whether or not she heard him, because in the next few seconds the two fairies melted through the beast's remaining health bar and shattered it into pieces.

From the sudden drop, Sinon let out an uncharacteristic squeal as she fell toward the ground without so much as a warning. She suddenly felt a little envious toward cartoons. They always have the wonderful rule of gravity; you don't fall until you look down.

Fairies didn't have such luxuries.

In the dense animation of fluttering golden polygons, Kirito glimpsed a falling silhouette of dusty light blue.

Diving to meet Sinon's plumet, Kirito matched the Cait Sith's pace and caught her in his arms; bridal style.

"Hello, I don't recall calling for an airdrop." Kirito laughed as he slowed their decent, landing gracefully on the ground below. "Wow, that fall must've scared you."

Sinon looked up at the swordsman, not entirely sure what he meant by that. Sure she was a bit startled, but scared? No way. "F-falls like that don't scare me."

Kirito looked up in time to see the rest of the polygons fade, "You're face got red. So it was probably adrenaline then. More blood flow, I guess."

Sinon's eyes widened as she realized the blush quickly spreading across her cheeks. For some reason, her being in Kirito's arms again only reminded her of their encounter on the bridge in the Third Bullet of Bullets preliminaries.

When they dueled, and he beat her by slicing Hecate's bullet cleanly in half…at 10 meters.

The thought only heated up her face even more.

"Y-yeah, okay. Adrenaline…let's go with that." She took a shaky breath and tried to calm her nerves.

"So uh, are you two just going to stand there all day…or…?" Asuna trailed off, making her presence known just a few steps away.

The archer flinched and noticed Kirito was still holding her.

"S-sorry, got distracted." Kirito apologized, looking at something in the distance.

He let Sinon down. It was only then that Sinon realized she had her arms wrapped around Kirito's neck. She quickly reeled them in and stepped away, keeping her eyes drifting.

"Distracted?" She asked.

Kirito didn't answer. He was still distracted.

The two girls turned around and followed his gaze.

 _So that's where the second one went…_ The thought processed absently as Sinon's eyes widened. As did Asuna's.

"Yeah, these AI's are definitely more advanced." Sinon concluded, drawing her bow. "Remind me to buy even more arrows when we get back to the city." _I guess that re-stock I did as we passed through town to start this mission wasn't enough._

"Sure. Since you're probably going to need all of them."

Someone said it. Sinon wasn't sure who. She was too distracted by the mass of burrowing maws surfing through the sand.

"Well, here's the bright side of things. We'll be getting back early." Said Kirito, readying his swords.

"Yeah, if we survive these twenty or so monsters." Asuna rebuked.

"Pfft." Kirito shrugged his shoulders, "I mean, it's just twenty of them."

"Asuna takes the ones on the right, you get middle, and I get left?" Sinon offered sarcastically.

To her surprise, the two actually shrugged and agreed to her plan. _Great. This'll be interesting._

As the dramatic wall of burrowing maws closed in, things were looking a little less possible. If you were talking about a singular worm, sure. You could solo it. But this is something else entirely. One person would have to solo a minimum of six burrowing maws, each.

That's a whole lot of dodging.

Could they do it?

No.

But tell that to the unwilling reinforcement.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

A gruff scream followed by a crash of stones shattered the battle tension. The intruding noise got louder and seemed to be approaching the three of them.

"S-slow d-d-down you-u g-giant l-lizard!" Klein yelled. He was dangling helplessly from the neck of a Rapitaru. The lizard seemed to be enjoying the flailing samurai's screams as Klein hung on for dear life.

There were three more following closely behind the poor salamander, all enjoying the show.

"Hey, Klein! Glad you could join the party." Kirito looked back and took note of their friend.

The man was still being dragged around by the lunging Rapitaru, but he seemed to somehow give a thumbs up.

"If we can mount those Rapitarus, we should be able to move fast enough to dodge everything." Stated Sinon, she was already running over to the three lizards that were following their leader.

"G-good l-luck with t-that!" Klein stuttered, knowing just how stubborn these things can be. There is no way a Cait Sith can just hop on top of one of these things and ride it.

No freaking way!

Through the bumps and the jumps, he noticed the three Rapitarus following him were gone.

And worse, he noticed where they had disappeared to.

Sinon was already sitting atop a pale blue lizard. It seemed content on being the girl's mount. Asuna expertly swung herself onto the saddle of an albino Rapitaru. Its scales were white and its eyes were shiny red.

Kirito rested his palm gently on the pitch black Rapitaru's snout, quickly earning its trust.

 _What…the hell?!_ Klein had many thoughts going through his head. That was one of them.

The lizard's golden eyes looked into onyx ones, and shortly after the Rapitaru pressed into Kirito's hand and urged him to climb on. Kirito smiled and leapt up in one swift motion, mounting his own black Rapitaru and drawing his swords again.

The leader of the pack had his fun. Now though, it seemed danger was quickly approaching. Its instincts kicked in and realized he had to accept this scruffy man dangling from his strong neck. He wasn't ideal, not quite. But the leader saw some potential in the man.

Orange eyes met brown, and the two had an understanding. "Right, just…for right now. We'll…uh…work together." Klein spoke awkwardly, getting a disgruntled roar in return from his new fiery red mount. The scars across the lizard's eye, neck, and chest area were more than enough for intimidation factors. But, to Klein, it just proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fiery Rapitaru earned its rank as the leader of the pack.

The burrowing maws were upon them now.

* * *

"So, are we just going to watch?" Leafa asked, looking over at Liz.

"Of course we are!" Liz responded with a laugh, a blacksmith's hammer resting on her shoulder. "You can't find this kind of entertainment anywhere else."

The two girls were leaning against different support beams in one of the watch towers in the outer wall. Below them and to the right was a gaping hole, and around that a dozen workers were currently hoisting freshly made metal beams into place. Each one was to support the stone wall from the inside, doubling its defensive capabilities and creating a support for them to start laying bricks.

"Well, I guess we _did_ finish early." Said the blonde, walking over and sitting on the edge of the tower; legs dangling over the edge.

Liz plopped herself down next to her friend and kicked her heals back against the stone tower, "Hey, we got the boring job. I can whip up metal beams in no time at all." She spoke proudly, resting her hammer at her side.

"Besides, we aren't needed for a while longer. We smelted up enough to keep those workers busy, and it's only been 30 minutes!" The blacksmith continued with a smile and a stretch of her arms.

Leafa leaned back and propped herself up on her hands, pressing her palms to the tower's floor behind her, "Hmm, I guess you're right."

In front of them, in the near distance, a battle raged. From what they could tell, four members of their party were fighting a mass of burrowing maws. The same mob they encountered in the ravine.

"Think we should help them?"

"Nah." Liz smirked, enjoying the free entertainment.

* * *

"Twenty is beginning to feel like a _lot_ now!" Kirito yelled, passing by Sinon on his Rapitaru.

The mounts were unbelievably fast. They could easily cap out at 60 km/hour or 40 mph. That's fast! Not to mention these things are lizards.

"Yeah, well. Who's counting?!" Sinon responded, rounding around a giant worm and riding at Kirito's side.

"I am!" Klein's voice drifted past them as a bright streak of red passed them by.

Kirito smirked and yelled after the samurai, "I'm at three!"

"Damn it!" Came his muffled reply. Klein was only on his second.

Sinon giggled at the competition brewing between the two guys and split away from Kirito. "I'll see you when this is all over then."

She disappeared back into the fray on her pale blue Rapitaru.

"Well Blake, I guess it's just you and me." Kirito pat his lizard's smooth black neck and redirected himself to the nearest burrowing maw.

With a battle cry and a roar, Kirito and his newly named mount circled the beast. The swordsman stood on his saddle and sent a flurry of heavy swipes deep into the worm's body. Every time the beast made a move to crush him, Blake would dash the two of them out of the way so he could continue to tear the mob's health apart.

A few more circuits later, the worm shattered and the two moved on to the next one.

Sinon made archery on horseback look easy. Maybe it was because it was a lizard instead of a horse. No, it was because of her skills. She loosed arrows one after the other like it was nothing, each one soaring into the burrowing maws' mouths and lodging themselves into the sensitive roots of teeth.

From her up close look, she realized these things actually had weak spots.

It only took a few arrows to bring down one with critical hits. The critical hit multiplier was surprisingly large on creatures this big. However, Sinon just chalked it down to be because no one was crazy enough to jump into one of these thing's mouths and start swinging.

"Two down, more to go." She breathed and notched another arrow, homing in on her next target.

Asuna had a similar approach to what Kirito was doing. Although, instead of bearing down on a single target until it was down for the count. She'd dash between numerous ones and dwindle down their health bars. Dipping and diving between crushing attacks, she slashed at three different worms as her Rapitaru dashed from one target to the next.

After a few minutes, the three she was working on all shattered one after the other. "And that makes three."

Klein had a different approach to the other three. Instead of him doing all the work, he quickly noticed just what these Rapitarus were capable of. So, in a joined effort with his mount, he was able to make quick work of his enemies.

His red lizard would leap into the air and tear its claws deep into the tough skin of a burrowing maw. Klein would slash away at every inch of flesh within his reach before his Rapitaru lunged away to dodge an attack.

He and his comrade rinsed and repeated, quickly depleting the worm's health bars. Pretty soon, the burrowing maw shattered into pieces. "Yeah! Great job! That makes three." Klein steered toward another giant worm and went to work again.

The battle field was flowing chaos. Fairies on mounts dashed around, seamlessly hopping targets and passing each other by; two of which constantly shouting out numbers for some competitive reason. Massive dispersions of golden polygons were constantly drifting through the tense air. Not once was there a ten second window where something didn't die.

It was a 4 vs 25 situation.

The burrowing maws were dropping like flies. All under the constant siege of a ragtag team of fairies. Each one highly skilled, in their own ways, and each using speed oriented battle mounts.

Every once in a while, Asuna needed to do a 'drive by healing' in between targets to keep everyone's health in the green. Their strategies weren't flawless, most lead to some unforeseen full body slams, but they weren't bad strategies either.

19:53.

 _Roughly forty minutes have gone by since we started hunting._ Kirito thought as he slashed apart his seventh target. It seemed Sinon had decided to start conserving arrows for now, and was being a speedy distraction to assist anyone who needed one.

 _By now, there shouldn't be too many left._ Kirito looked around to confirm his thought. There were only 3 remaining burrowing maws now.

But they didn't attack anyone.

They were circling each other for some reason.

The three of them, just surfing in a circle, the flowing sand between them swirling, something was wrong.

"Guys? Get back. Get back now!" Kirito yelled out, taking the reins of his saddle and forcing a retreat.

Klein, Asuna, and Sinon heeded his warning and regrouped with the spriggan. The three worms were slowly sinking into the ground, more and more with each pass.

Klein rode up to Kirito's right and halted his mount there, "What's up with those three?"

Sinon took Kirito's left, and to her left was Asuna.

"No clue. But we can't damage them like this." Said Kirito, eyes still on the targets.

"The ground is vibrating."

Kirito looked over and noticed Sinon crouching on the ground; palm and fingers pressed into the sand.

"Something's coming." She noted.

"Not just something." A light voice filled the air. Yui's head and shoulders popped out of Kirito's chest pocket, arms extending with a small yawn. "All this battle, nothing to do. So I took a nap." She confessed.

"No, its fine." Kirito smiled and pat her head.

"What did you mean by 'not just something'?" Asked Asuna from her spot at the far left.

Yui scanned the ground, particularly focusing the swirling sand vortex, and hummed in thought. "Well, I'm starting to sense a forth signature. Something else, something big, is rising from deep beneath the desert."

 _Boss? Maybe?_ The swordsman looked over to the flowing pit and nodded his head. "Whatever it is, let's take it out. If we work together, we can kill it no problem."

"Good point, I'm in." Sinon agreed.

"I'm up for a boss fight." Asuna also agreed.

Klein rested his hands behind his head in a relaxed manor as he leaned back, "I'm sitting on a healthy seven kills. How much you got?" His brown eyes landed on Kirito, question lingering in the air.

"Seven."

"Damn, looks like I'm in. We'll see who gets the final kill." The samurai smirked, hand going down to rest at the handle of his blade.

Kirito sheathed his blades and extended his fist, "You're on."

Klein bumped his own fist against Kirito's, their competitive nature must've seeped into their mounts because the two Rapitarus butted heads in that moment as well.

"Heads up, I think it's here." Yui chirped up, gaining their attention.

Kirito tucked Yui back into his pocket and dropped his hands to rest on his saddle, "Thanks Yui."

The glaring sun in the once cloudless sky was soon quickly engulfed in a sea of black clouds. All of them coming out of nowhere and converging just above the moving sands below. The black clouds swirled above, becoming a vortex of their own.

Their sudden appearance basked the area below in darkness, the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the shadowed land below in a brief bleach of light. But other than that, it was as if the area the fairies found themselves in had been descended into the dim of night.

Not pitch black, no; but dark enough to make maneuvering difficult.

"Hang tight guys." Kirito's voice pierced the haze of black as he began chanting a few words with an extended hand. "Oss…Náða…Nótt…Lysa…Auga." As he read the words, golden words of power snapped around to his front and ended with a feint glow. From his incantation, wisps of grey energy spread out and engulfed his nearby party members. The Rapitarus already had capable vision in the dark.

As everyone's vision clarified and brightened to colorless levels, they noticed the ground caving in from where the three burrowing maws were circling. A sink hole the size of the world tree's trunk collapsed in on itself, and from the pit of darkness emerged a massive burrowing maw.

The ground around it rumbled like a continuous earthquake, causing sand to shift and dunes to disperse. The gigantic worm, already breaching the surface with a sea of rotating teeth, spanned an easy fifteen meters in diameter. Its length was unknown. Unlike the other burrowing maws, this thing had scales overlapping its length; forming a hard shell of armored plating.

They were still white, but it looked to be much harder to cut than the tough flesh covering the 'smaller' burrowing maws. If smaller was the right term for them; they were still pretty big.

"Okay, I know this is kinda late, any ideas?" Klein asked.

"That armor is tough. But there are weak spots in the mouth I can hit with my arrows. It's too dangerous to fly in there and try to use a sword." Sinon spoke up, filling the rest in on her discovery.

Kirito watched as the massive scaly worm pushed itself higher into the air, scales flexing along with it as it bent. "Maybe we can slice in between the clinks in the scales."

"That's a big 'if'. What about just working on one area until we chip the scales off?" Asuna countered.

Sinon flicked her eyes over to the timer still counting down for their quest, "Not enough time for that. We're already pushing it just by fighting this thing."

 _Then there's only one thing we can do._ Kirito grit his teeth. It was the only way they were going to get that bonus reward. Everyone knows boss battles can last thirty minutes, easy. There is just too much health to chip away. No way could they kill a boss in ten to fifteen minutes.

Not unless…

 _It's risky. But I have to do it. No, not just me anymore. I need a third blade in there._ "Klein." Kirito's voice was dulled by the thunderous roar shaking the sky.

Klein's eyes snapped to Kirito, his gaze previously taking in the towering height of this new enemy.

"I-I…I need your help." The spriggan began awkwardly, not really used to asking for help. He was more of a solo player. "And…I'll need you two as well." Kirito looked to Asuna and Sinon.

* * *

"Okay, that's the gist of the plan. But we need to go, now! We're out of time." Kirito yelled, charging in on his Rapitaru.

"Roger that. I'm right behind yah!" Klein called out, riding at Kirito's flank.

Sinon and Asuna split off from the two as they made their way around the boss; which had just finished its spawning animation.

Kirito leaned forward and rested his hand along his Rapitaru's neck, "Okay Blake, give it everything you've got."

His mount roared and lunged forward even faster.

«Brood Mother»

«Level 87»

Four health bars towered on top of each other. All of them wrapping around the maw of the Brood Mother; hovering in a relative position a meter from the beast.

Dashing to the side, Kirito and Klein evaded the burrowing maws crashing out of the ground. It seemed the last three were still ready to fight. They shot out of the ground one at a time, trying to slam down on the two fairies homing in on their Brood Mother.

The guys proved to be too quick.

Kirito slid beneath the first crashing maw, forcing Klein to dig in and scale the beast to keep up with his leader. The red samurai regrouped and matched Kirito's speed, both skidding beneath the next tumbling worm from their left this time. Finally, the third worm shot out of the ground just in front of them, making the two split up and cut around it.

"Alright, all we have to do is get rid of one health bar for now!" Kirito yelled back, drawing his swords.

Klein grunted and drew his own katana, riding up to Kirito's side and began the approach to the boss.

Just then, a bolt of yellow lighting shot from behind them from one of the sand dunes. Its arc struck the body of the enormous worm and impaled itself between two scales.

 _Sinon._ Kirito watched as two more followed the first in quick succession, embedding themselves in a loose triangle on the belly of the beast. The three arrows glowed brighter from their incantation and chained lightning between each projectile, shocking and stunning the massive boss.

"That's our cue!"

Kirito and Klein surged in on their lizards and dug their blades into the base of the worm. They were able to slice through the hard exterior of scales, but their damage was halved.

"Oh man, what I'd give for an armor piercing potion right about now." Klein huffed, driving his katana through one of the scales; causing it to crack slightly. "Hey, it looks like we really can shatter some scales!"

Kirito heard the comment and drove his blades through the center of a large scale in front of him, causing a web of cracks to span outward from where he pierced. He repeated the action, and this time the cracks spread all the way to the scale's edge, sending chipped fragments to the sand.

 _Almost…there…_ Kirito took another swing, only for his blades to bounce back from the upturning scale.

They were opening?!

"Back away!" Kirito backtracked on his Rapitaru and circled around to Klein, "Get back, now!"

The two began a mad dash away from the Brood Mother. It's scales, starting at the base, fanned open like a fluid wave. Each one glistened with false light as every single one opened, revealing pink flesh beneath.

After the top scales opened, the boss seemed to throb slightly. Then from the hidden flesh beneath the scales shot countless thorn-like projectiles.

There were too many to dodge. Kirito and Klein didn't have enough time to outrun the hail of thorns. Each fairy getting struck with numerous projectiles each, armor stats reduced the damage, but the lingering poison was the greater threat.

Giving the signal, Kirito lifted his golden blade into the air; a signal for the medic.

A blur of white and green shot out from behind a dune, one of the smaller burrowing maws was already at half health thanks to her. She dashed gracefully on her albino Rapitaru's back and lunged past Kirito and Klein, already chanting an incantation.

The two were quickly engulfed in soothing green light, curing the poison effects and bringing their health bars back up to high yellow.

"Thanks!" Said Klein, alongside a nod from Kirito.

Asuna broke off and went to finish off the burrowing maw she was distracting. The other two were being lead around by Sinon.

"Quick, let's see if we can strike before those things close!"

Kirito took a sharp U-Turn and dashed back in, Klein close behind him. They swooped around just as the scales were beginning to close. The Brood Mother can attack alright, but with each attack it loses its armor for a short time.

They slashed at the visible flesh as quick as they could, dealing full damage instead of it being halved by the scale armor. Ten hits in, and the panels finally closed fully, leaving them with a strong scaly wall again.

But the cracks were still there.

That meant they could open up a small portion of flesh to deal full damage at all times.

Kirito rode over to where he originally impaled a scale and bashed the hilt of his Eostryder into it, causing the cracked plate to shatter completely. Up above, Kirito heard the Brood Mother howl, along with a second choked howl when Klein shattered his own scale.

Things were going to plan.

Slapping half of each blade into the flesh, Kirito cleaved outward and tore the adjacent scales open. With the added space, he reversed his grip on his black blade again and spun in his spot; slashing horizontally at the flesh.

A dozen swipes in, and he was almost past the first health bar; with Klein's help on the other side. Just as the bar entered the red, the sand beneath the Rapitaru's claws began to shift and sift inward. All of it loosely poured inward like a whirlpool, sucking downward and rushing along the worm below.

"Time's up." Kirito grunted, sheathing his blades and grabbing hold of his saddle. Blake clawed her way up the flowing sand, leaping upward and out of the quickly forming pit.

"Klein, we need to-"

Kirito looked over and saw his partner working overtime on running up the quickly receding hill, but to no avail. Step by step, his red lizard couldn't get enough footing for forward momentum.

He was quickly sliding backward into the vacuum-like vortex.

Kirito halted his mount and turned to find the archer, "Sinon! I need a rope!"

The girl looked up from her confrontation, dealing with one of the burrowing maws. Two were still alive.

She quickly spoke the incantation and shot Kirito an arrow; a neon blue string trailed behind it. Kirito reached his free hand up and snagged the arrow out of the air. He then rode up to the edge of the vortex and leapt into it.

Black boots met sand as he slid downward, quickly approaching Klein. The teen swept himself beneath the scampering Rapitaru and latched the arrow into a hook on the bony saddle. Without warning, Kirito kicked off the ground and had his wings extended in an instant. He took Klein beneath the shoulders and surged upward, prompting the samurai to do the same.

Sinon had her end tied to her own saddle and began clawing outward, pulling Klein's lizard up the drifting hill and over its ridge.

"Alright, we did everything we could. But…we're out of time." Said Kirito, releasing Klein to fly on his own.

The scales aligned with where the two hovered at opened up again, sending out a line of projectiles like sensory turrets. Klein soared upward, evading the sudden horizontal wall of thorns, "Doesn't matter. Let's do this thing."

Kirito followed his lead and dodged the thorns, working his way upward as well.

The two fairies took a wide arc, giving the final signal to execute the final part of the plan.

Sinon notched her next arrow and aimed for the sky, high above the Brood Mother. Steadying her breath, she countered the wind with a slight angle and drew the string back. She had already combined this one arrow with an item drop she bought form a local fletcher, shrouding it in green mist.

«Gargoyle Breath Elixir»

The arrow left her bow with a steady stream behind it, sending it whirling through the air in a high arc. It, and the two guys, dove into the Brood Mother's mouth one after the other, disappearing into an ocean of sharp teeth.

Kirito let the arrow pass him by, the trail of green smoke tailing behind it as it disappeared into the darkness of the worm's throat.

"30 seconds!" The spriggan informed before charging his Holy Execution sword skill on his Excalibur. The blinding white light lit up the surrounding teeth like a flood spotlight, revealing Klein's now gleaming bright red blade.

The two nodded and went to town, hacking away at any and all weak points just below the teeth. Driving sharp metal into tissue, the boss began sinking downward back into the sand, slowly closing its maw.

 _20 seconds._ Kirito spun in the air and bounced passed Klein, who let the teen pass before flying to a new set of teeth. Combo after combo, brilliant displays of color lashed out in the encompassing darkness as the fairies unleashed everything they had.

 _10._ "The maw's almost closed!" Kirito yelled.

"Just…" Klein drove his blade deep and began dragging it downward, "…one…more…" He swiped outward, leaving behind a deep glowing orange gash, "There, let's get out of here."

Klein charged his last sword skill and flew up behind Kirito.

Kirito looked over the collar of his coat, eyes roaming down into the throat of the beast, "Light it."

His words bounced off the walls, echoing around the beaten corridor and slipping out of the now small exit gap.

The samurai swiped his now fully charged flaming blade through the lingering trail of green mist, not looking back to see if it worked or not. The flame ignited the trail and quickly burned downward through the suspended smoke, sparking and smoking as it lit up the inner walls of the Brood Mother.

30 seconds of gas build-up in the belly of the monster. The only thing left to do, was get out.

The two swordsmen dashed through the air and aimed for the sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. Walls around them were dropping downward, fast, making their climb for the top seem much faster than it actually was.

With no seconds to spare, two figures broke out of the worm's maw and tumbled through the air. Everything went quiet as they hovered to a stop and watched the rest of the Brood Mother disappear into the sands of the desert.

Its pit settled down in moments, and the atmosphere became eerily silent. Lingering golden polygons fluttered through the air; the last of the burrowing maws disposed of.

"Did it-"

A dull, muffled explosion rocked the desert from beneath the ground. An implosion of sand was flexed outward in a gust of an expanding shock wave. The sudden whip of wind and sand threw the two figures out of the air and shot straight through the dark clouds above, slicing them to bits and revealing the orange sky.

As the implosion coursed outward, the ground at its epicenter sunk inward, caving in before quickly filling again. Through the sifting torrents of sand and small rocks, large flecks of gold fluttered out in flickering streams.

«Congratulations!»

High in the air, the congratulatory word for beating a boss appeared with victory music and a banner. They'd done it. Kirito and Klein read the words with smiles plastered on their faces, even though they were waist deep in a nearby sand dune.

Two shadows loomed over the two grounded fairies, blocking the sun and revealing two women on lizard-back.

"I can't believe that actually worked." Sinon's voice tickled the two men's ears as they looked upward.

"Yeah, well…crazier things _have_ happened." Commented Asuna, extending a hand to the downed Klein.

Sinon quickly did the same for Kirito, and the two guys were pulled out of the clutches of the desert.

"I did more damage, so it should count as my kill." Said Kirito with a smile. He then nodded his thanks to Sinon for helping him up.

"Whoa whoa whoa, I was the one that lit the fuse." Klein rebuked, "So…I get the kill."

The two both had thirteen kills going in, and now they needed a tie breaker.

"Uh, if it's any consolation…" Sinon's voice cut through the air as she flicked a message in between the two. It wasn't a usual loot message, this one was different.

And extremely familiar.

«Last Hit Bonus»

"H-huh?!" Kirito exclaimed, staring down at the message in disbelief.

"I-it…it…" Klein stuttered, fingers twitching as he read the title of the message as well, "…it still only counts as _one_."

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **So, Velociraptors. No one messes with the Raptor Squad! Those of you who saw Jurassic World, good for you. Those who didn't, well you get the point, it was a good movie.**

 **I tried, I really did. I wanted to go for casual, but ended up writing a boss scene instead. I guess my mind is a little hardwired for battles and fight scenes at the moment. We** _ **are**_ **on the final chapter of a tournament going on in my other fic, so I guess it makes sense.**

 **Oh well, more action for you.**

 **Did you know Velociraptor Roars are literally, no kidding, the sound a tortoise makes when it breeds with another. I looked it up, since I needed to somehow describe what their roars sound like in this chapter. In the end, I took a different approach but still…you get it.**

 **I wonder if they'll make it back on time. What with the boss battle and the Rapitarus on the loose. Will Silica be enough to finish the task while that fight went on? Who knows! Let's find out later.**

 **Also, if you caught them all, there were a few movie references in this chapter. Here's a few. The obvious one was Jurassic World. The Lord of the Rings fans would recognize the competition. It was always a fun aspect to see Gimli and Legolas fighting for kills. The Burrowing Maws were a play for the were-worms from The Hobbit.**

 **On another note. Kirito's Rapitaru is similar to Blake the cat-faunus from the show RWBY.**

 **Rapitaru = Raptor**

 **Alright, next time I promise to cut back on the fighting.**

 _ **Review**_ **! Always love it when you review.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **the story, more chapters to come.**

 **Cya XP**


	6. Rewards

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Rewards

«»

"Time?"

"We have 11 minutes left."

"Eh, that's enough time." Klein waved his hand, dismissing the air. "Plenty of time. Right Kirito?"

Kirito looked up from his mini-map and pointed toward the city, "Yeah, and Silica is right over there. It shouldn't take too long to wrap things up."

Silica's position dot pulsed a bright green on Kirito's map, pinging subtly from just outside the city scape nearby; around the bend.

"Then let's get moving. We're on a time limit aren't we?" Sinon asked, already mounting her Rapitaru.

"Yep, and we don't want to miss it." Asuna agreed.

The two girls began galloping toward Silica, leaving Kirito and Klein coughing in their literal dust cloud.

Sputtering a few breaths, Klein mounted his red Rapitaru and rode up to Kirito's side. "You know, at what point did we lose control of the group?"

Kirito chuckled and pulled himself onto Blake's saddle, "Klein…we were never in control."

He took off, followed closely by Klein in the direction the girls went.

Klein made his way forward to match Kirito's strides and kept pace with his mount, "Hey, what do you think the bonus reward could be?"

The swordsman glanced at his friend and shrugged his shoulders, "Could be some weapons and armor, considering this whole place is built and managed by blacksmiths."

"O-oh, yeah. That'd make sense…" Klein trailed off, "I wonder if they'll upgrade armor we already have? I spent forever getting this stuff!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Kirito tugged on the collar of his coat and smiled, "That's the thing with MMO-RPG's. You always grow attached to your gear and it's hard to trade up at times." He reminisced back to the Blackwyrm Coat he wore in the final months of Sword Art Online. _Man, that thing was amazing for stealth._

If it weren't for the game being, well, a 'death' game; for lack of better words…he'd feel better with trying to re-create his old avatar look. But things are different now.

Also, Yui was complaining that Kirito's old avatar hairstyle was too spiky to sit on.

So he had to switch up anyway.

"Well, I don't know about you…" Klein pointed up to his forehead and gave his toothiest smile yet, "I've had this headband style since day one. And there's no way I'm changing it up now" As if to accentuate his claim, the evening sun ran a golden ray across his headwear.

The accessory literally gleamed with every word.

"What about you're bandana-"

"Ah, uh up up!" Klein silenced Kirito's retort, "They count as the same thing. I checked." He smirked, crossing his arms.

 _Well, whatever floats your boat I guess._ Kirito thought as they approached a small hole in the wall.

"Klein, don't you think these people have enough holes to repair?" Asked Kirito as his Rapitaru climbed through it.

"H-hey!" Klein followed suit, "Not my fault. If anything, blame hard head here. He's the one that smashed through it."

Klein's lizard growled and stood tall as it stepped out of the opening.

 ***Bang***

"O-ouch! Hey!" Klein rubbed his scalp, nose scrunching up in pain. "What's the big idea, are you trying to kill me?!"

The red Rapitaru screeched and shook his head. His lunges not wavering as they dashed through the alleys of the city.

"Alright alright, don't rub it in. I've had enough for one day." Klein responded to the lizard-leader's reaction.

"Did…did they just have a conversation?" Kirito muttered to himself.

"Yes, it appears they did." Yui's voice responded to his question, her tone in slight disbelief.

Kirito looked down to meet the small eyes of Yui. She was peaking up at him from just outside the confines of his coat pocket.

"No! You can't go and eat whatever you want!" Klein's voice dully echoed off the surrounding sandstone buildings. "And I don't care if you're the 'leader'." He then accentuated his point with physical quotation marks, "It's stealing!"

"They are definitely having a conversation." Kirito confirmed. He even noticed Blake nod in agreement, her head staring at the red pair dashing in front of them.

Klein suddenly looked up then over his shoulder, making eye contact with the three of them, "U-uh, w-what…what're you all looking at?! This is totally normal." He was trying to justify his actions.

"N-nothing!" Kirito sputtered out before taking the reins and speeding up, "Let's just catch up."

He passed the samurai and took the lead, eventually making it into one of the streets and getting a glimpse of the girls.

Sinon waved him down then pointed toward a stray group of Rapitarus down the street. They were rampaging a stall in the market district and chowing down on whatever food they could find.

She and Asuna were a few meters away from them.

Klein caught up and slid out of the alley, grinding to a stop aside the black swordsman. "Why'd you sto-"

"Oh." His brown eyes took in the scene in front of them.

As quietly as they could, Kirito and Klein rode up to the girls and appeared at their sides.

"Wanna try to round them up?" Sinon asked in a hushed whisper.

Kirito looked back over to the five lizards and grimaced at the torn up tarps and shattered wooden crates. "We have to try. We've got six minutes left." He responded quietly.

Scraps of bread and some sort of pale meat littered the street in proximity to the herd.

 _Such a waste of food. I bet it would've tasted pretty good._ Kirito's mouth began to water, but he immediately snapped out of it when one of the lizards leapt up onto the counter.

Its yellow slit eyes snapped around before landing on the four fairies.

"Whatever you do, just…don't…move." Klein spoke through clenched teeth.

"That only works with T-Rex's." Asuna corrected him, but remained still.

They all locked up to the best of their abilities, even their mounts ceased all movement.

 _Maybe they can't actually see-_

The lizard on the counter suddenly whipped its tail into a support beam and let out an oscillating roar. Behind him, the four Rapitarus suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked up.

All their eyes landed on the green lizard standing on the counter, then moved to stare at what he was looking at.

"They see us, they see us, they see us!" Klein rapidly spat out, gripping his reins tightly.

"We're literally a rainbow in a sandy street. No duh they would see us." Asuna spoke sarcastically, her Rapitaru shifting back and forth under the gaze of the other herd.

"Maybe they're friendly?!" Klein asked.

It was a valiant effort, it really was.

Like a legion of deer, the Rapitarus took off in the opposite direction. Spooked and frantic, they tore down the street in a single stampeding group.

"After them! We'll redirect the group to their pen!" Kirito called out, surging forward and giving chase.

Sinon and Asuna split off to the side, diving into the nearest alley and disappearing around the corner.

"They're going to try and cut them off." Klein yelled, quickly following behind Kirito. "I need to get to their front. I know where the pen is!"

Kirito nodded and whipped his reins, "Come on Blake. Let's show these guys just how fast we can be."

His black Rapitaru suddenly pulled forward and lowered her head, their top speed suddenly increasing.

«Blake now level 2!»

«New ability unlocked!»

Giving the pop-up message a once over, Kirito dismissed it and promised himself to check Blake's stats when he had time.

"I'll get you through, don't worry!" He called back to Klein, who was slowly falling behind.

They rounded the bend in the street and caught site of the small stampede. Three tails swished back and forth at the rear of the formation, and two were dashing at the front.

"We're going to push right through that formation." Kirito stated, patting his lizard on the neck. "Once this is all over, I'll get you an extra slab of meat."

At the promise of a delicious treat, Blake ducked forward and fell in line with the back set of Rapitarus. The two at her sides took notice of her, and for a moment had conflicting gazes. As the two growled at the newcomer, the leader looked back and whipped its tail into one of the stubborn raptors.

They immediately shut up and looked forward, leaving Blake alone.

Blake rolled her eyes and kept pace with the formation.

The stampede took the next turn and continued down that street. As they ran, Kirito noticed two bright blurs appear.

Off to his right, a pale blue rider appeared out of an alley and rode at the right side of the pack. As Sinon took her position, a white blur leapt from a low building's rooftop and landed to the pack's left side.

Asuna's position effectively boxed the Rapitarus in.

Now, all they need it a guide.

"Switch out, Kirito!"

Klein's voice ripped through the wind from behind. Kirito immediately slipped out of the formation and left an opening in the stampede's ranks. The samurai took advantage of that and sped through it, dashing in between the two at the front and taking the lead.

Blake trailed at the back of the pack, ensuring that none of them escape.

"Time for a little detour." Klein spoke down to his Rapitaru. The red raptor looked back and roared, immediately gaining authority and enforcing his presence.

The previous leader of the stampede whined a bit, but fell back to be in line with the one at his left.

Lifting the reins, Klein pulled to his right and rounded the next corner. Thankfully, the rest of the herd followed his lead and fell back into formation again.

With the team of four being their security walls, they quickly approached the outer farming district and found their way into a large clearing. The ground to the right and left of the street was filled with rows of green stocks, and at the end was the pen; just past the plots of corn.

High walls and a steel gate sat dead ahead.

"That's our destination. Let's not mess this up!" Klein called back to the three teens behind him.

"How do we get the gate open?!" Kirito yelled from the back.

Right, the gate. Its recently upgraded doors of steel sat solidly still and locked tight.

More importantly, it was closed.

"If we lose momentum, there's a chance we lose control of the pack! Do you think there's anyone there to open the doors for us?!" Klein asked, not slowing down.

As they moved past the ends of the corn fields, they were suddenly engulfed in a mass of Rapitarus. All around them, the remaining ten lizards came out of nowhere and encompassed their smaller pack.

"Where did these guys come from?!" Asuna asked over the sound of pounding claws.

"They must have been led here!" Sinon called out, trying to maintain her position and not be overwhelmed by the new lizards encompassing her.

"Silica!" Klein yelled, looking up into the air.

Above them, the small form of a Cait Sith fairy flew through the air with glistening wings. Beside her, Pina glided with a string of boar meat clenched in his claws. The ends dangled behind him and snagged the attention of the lizards below.

As they approached the gate, the bar holding the entrance closed receded into an encasement of metal and a crack of light broke through the center of the steel doors. The massive gate slowly creaked open, and on the inside stood the last remaining members of the party.

Liz stood beside Leafa, both holding matching blacksmith hammers and temporary goggles over their eyes. Around them was a large cage, and behind them was a secondary steel gate; the cage acting as a buffer between the outside and the inside.

The two fairies smiled proudly and bumped fists before stepping to the side and signaling someone up above. With a wave of the hand, the secondary gate began to lift upward and create an opening to get into the walled off pen.

Dirt paths and dry trees appeared on the other side, revealing a perfectly clear runway for the Rapitarus to charge into their constructed habitat.

"So that's where they were!" Klein realized.

He was wondering why they didn't join in on that boss fight.

The whole stampede narrowed down and filtered into the gateway with instinctual precision, not a single lizard slowing speed in the slightest. Klein's Rapitaru crossed the first dirt path, leading the pack through a few scattered trees and quickly entering a clearing.

Above them, Silica flew to the other side of the pen and landed on the walkway connected along the top side of the back wall. From there, she pet Pina's head and took the string of meat from his small clutches.

"Alright!" She called out, "Eyes on me!"

Holding up the boar meat, she immediately caught the attention of every Rapitaru below. One after another, then the rest of the lizards in seemingly synchronization, all raised their heads and lifted their snouts into the air.

The four fairies still mounted below nearly fell off their Rapitarus in the process.

Slowly, she waved the tender food through the air; wafting its scent around. With every sway, the snouts below gravitated toward it.

"You can close the gate now." Silica stated calmly, still maintaining all attention.

With her order spoken, the inner and outer gates closed simultaneously. Of course, Leafa and Liz were already out of the cage and sitting on the wall opposite Silica; just above the gate.

Someone was probably behind the scenes, within the walls next to the entrance, working with the mechanisms that access the doors.

"Wow, and I thought _I_ was the only beast tamer of the group." Silica laughed, looking down at the party members below.

Her eyes flicked between her friends below; each one surprisingly sitting on a lizard that matched their usual color preference.

"Yeah, well. We're not on _bad_ terms… if that's what you mean." Klein spoke and rubbed the back of his neck. His red Rapitaru seemed to agree with him and let out a chattered roar.

Her gaze then turned to Kirito, and he merely shrugged at her curious expression. To her surprise, Kirito's Rapitaru seemed to be one of the only female lizards of the pack. And, from what she could tell, it was giving her a strange territorial look.

"They're actually quite friendly." Asuna commented from her place, her albino raptor mingling with the others around it.

"Of course they are! They're the most loyal pets you will ever find!"

A voice shouted out from behind everyone. Sitting at the edge of the wall, above the gate, was Vel. Her goggles were nestled into her pink hair and a wide toothy grin crossed her face. The heels of her black boots bounced off the stone wall as she idly kicked her feet.

"I didn't notice her there. When did she get here?" Liz asked in a hushed whisper, trying to get her words past the pink haired blacksmith to Leafa.

Apparently the girl appeared out of nowhere between the two fairies.

"I have no idea." Leafa mouthed back.

"No silly, I flew up here. You two were just too busy admiring Kiri-" Vel was silenced by a swift hand to the mouth.

Her sky blue eyes looked down and realized what had prevented her from talking. She followed the arm to her left and met the dangerous eyes of Leafa. Dashing them to the right, she also noticed the amused glint in Liz's eyes; albeit slightly embarrassed.

Looking back, she understood the warning strongly given and pried the hand clasped over her lips. With relative ease, she got it off and continued.

"Anyway, like I was saying. After these two stared at Kirito-" Vel ducked the combined swipe of Liz and Leafa, letting herself slip off the wall and hovered forward with her wings. "I sat down and came here to show you this!"

She extended her arms and opened her hands. A large message opened above her showing off a timer in large golden text.

«59:26»

Above that appeared the all familiar completion text.

«Quest Complete!»

«Bonus Reward: Re-Callable Mount»

"I can't believe you guys were able to complete _ALL_ that stuff in an hour. You even killed that boss!" Vel gasped and the message disappeared. She kicked the air excitedly and took a deep breath, "You were like, KAPOW! And he was like, KAPOOYAH! And then the boss was like, ERG! WHY YOU DO DIS!? And then I was like… I NEED POPCORN!"

Kirito let the girl go on her tangent as he read through the quest completion message in front of him. Turns out, he didn't get to keep any of the materials the group farmed from the Burrowing Maws. _I guess she needed all she could scavenge for the city's storage supplies. Just how much did those raiders take from them?_ Kirito thought. If only he could find some information on who was doing this, then maybe he could find out what's really going on here on this island.

He digressed and scrolled further down, there was a large sum of Yrd and experience instead of any item rewards. The only physical item was the bonus mount.

Heh, he knew exactly which mount he'd be choosing.

Dismissing his message, he reeled back from the sudden reveal of Vel's childish face just behind it.

"And then you and Klein over there dove into that thing's mouth of pokey teeth!" She exclaimed, her voiceless drawling suddenly forming coherent words in Kirito's mind again.

"I can't believe you two did that!" She giggled, leaning in a bit and ignoring any sense of personal space.

If one were to look around, they would see the venomous glares of a few certain fairies. Luckily, Klein was safely sitting just out of range from their radioactive presence. He and his fierce red Rapitaru could only whine and hope the whole thing blows over smoothly.

The rest of the Rapitarus seemed to slowly back away and sink into silence, giving each of the girls a wide birth.

It was strange; a whole pen of restless and hungry chattering lizards, all going eerily quiet in the span of seconds.

"How'd you know that the fastest way to take out a Broodmother is from the inside?" Vel asked, finally leaning back and hovering a small distance away.

She knew what she was doing.

"U-uh, Sinon actually got eaten by one." Kirito explained, looking to the archer behind the master blacksmith.

Vel turned and stared at the blue Cait Sith, eyes brimming with bewilderment. "No one ever survives a trap like that." She mumbled, looking at the girl with a renewed image of glory.

"A-actually…" Sinon cleared the sheepishness from her voice and blinked, "Kirito and Asuna killed it before I was dragged underground… thankfully."

"She even yelped." Asuna cut in cheekily.

"What?!" Sinon sputtered, Cait Sith ears heightening to full alert, "I-I did nothing like that!"

"Sure you did. I was the one who caught you remember?" Kirito chuckled, further proving Asuna's claim.

 _Well, that was kind of hard to forget! The way your arms- Ugh, I need to stop thinking about that._ Sinon blushed as her thoughts escaped her; the scene still fresh within her mind.

Whatever retort she was going to respond with was only going to make things worse.

"Ah…" Vel smiled, "I get it." She flew over and poked one of Sinon's heated cheeks, "You're all so helpless…"

She leaned in and whispered into the Cait Sith's fairy ear, "I'll stay out of it."

Sinon's blush deepened as the blacksmith leaned away. The small girl's teasing was strangely akin to a certain other pink haired blacksmith she knew. Perhaps they're related?

Or just very similar in personality and race?

"Do we get to pick our mounts?" Kirito asked, hoping to dispel the silence.

Blake whipped her tail and shook her head, already hoping for a positive answer. She's grown fond of the spriggan on her back.

Vel's scruffy pink hair lagged behind her as she whirled around. Her shiny blue eyes locked with pristine ebony, and her smile never faltered. "Of course!"

* * *

The dusky green leaves on dangling branches rustled in the light breeze that blew by. The Shoestring Acacia trees that decorated the city's inn created a warm, welcoming atmosphere for the visiting group of fairies. The tall structure, being made of sandstone and wood, spanned across a large block in the housing district.

It was almost reminiscent of a fancy tropical hotel. The entrance started with a wide arch way that lead into a courtyard. Gardens of small ponds and desert trees graced the two sides of the cobbled stone pathway. At its end was the entrance to the inn.

Multiple balconies above it glowed with orange light. Some of them were dark and unlit, signifying that there were rooms available. There must have been at least seven floors, and potentially an area to lounge at on its roof.

The setting sun sent dancing rays of light through the moving branches around them, each strand of light flickering wistfully beneath the fairies' feet. No clouds took residence in the sky, leaving it completely bare and an unobstructed sea of red and yellow.

"I can't believe a desert can be this beautiful at times." Asuna sighed, one of many who were looking up into the sky.

"Just wait until the stars come out." Vel replied from the head of the group. "Imagine a sea of countless lights, far beyond what you could count, and the brightest moon of the year. It'll be amazing."

"That sounds incredible." Leafa said, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. "We should totally check it out tonight."

"Sure." Klein agreed for the group, "And in the meantime, we should all relax. We've had a long day."

"Oh, by all means go ahead and relax." Vel turned around after reaching the entrance to the large inn, "You're our guests of honor after all. Seriously, you've done more than you know for our city."

From within the entrance, Asaki stepped out and approached the group. Her brown ponytail swayed a bit and her long twin daggers glistened in the dissipating sunlight; their red steel appearing crimson in color.

The group also noticed a few upgrades from the last time they saw her. Now, she was wearing a sleeveless grey shirt with white bone shoulder guards and feminine bone chest plates. Each piece was connected by black leather straps, keeping her armor light and mobile instead of the heavy steel she wore before. Her black leather bracers fit snugly on her forearms and her equally black combat boots seemed to match them. Above those was a white gladiator styled light cloth skirt with some strips of steel running down its length.

Her brown fingerless gloved hands held a short stack of silver keys.

"Hello again." She smiled, stepping up to Vel's right side.

"H-hey." Klein was the first to respond, followed by a heartfelt barrage from the rest of the group.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but there were only three rooms available." Asaki held up the three silver keys, each lightly held between her fingers. "So you'll have to work out the rooming arrangements. Each room has two beds."

In reality, it shouldn't really matter who sleeps in the same room as whom. This is a virtual world. Only the avatars sleep here, and by that they log out of here; going into a sleep stasis of data ready to be reloaded.

At least, that's what Kirito and Klein realized.

As for the girls, they seemed to get a little antsy under the looming face of realization and possible scenarios.

"You know what. I'll be the first to say it so we can just get on with the night…" Klein spoke up before taking a breath. In a flash, he was at Kirito's side and slammed a rough hand down on the teen's shoulder.

" _I_ call Kirito!"

A series of slowly turning, shocked faces came into view as Klein looked around for any immediate objections.

"Sure, I guess. It doesn't matter anyway." Kirito piped up, moving away from the samurai.

"F-fine, then… then _I_ call Sinon!" Silica exclaimed. Beside her, Sinon seemed to snap out of some sort of haze and looked for the source of her name being spoken.

Off to the side, Liz silently reached out of frame and pulled a surprised Asuna into her chest.

"Well that's great and all…" Leafa spoke, her being the odd one out, "…but where will I sleep? There's only six beds."

 _Why are we even trying to figure this out? It's not like we need to lie down to log out._ Kirito asked himself. Although the small buff you get for sleeping in an inn's bed is fairly worth it.

"You can sleep with me." Silica decided to share her own bed with the sylph.

"Cute… I'm glad you all figured it out, but we must be going now." Asaki interrupted, "Vel has a city to run. And I am her personal body guard, so where she goes; I go."

"Yeppers!" Vel giggled and hopped down the stairs, "Such fun."

Asaki stepped down the stairs in a much more graceful manor. As she passed them by, she handed Kirito the silver keys and continued down the cobble path.

Vel followed suit soon after but slowed to a stop beside the spriggan.

"Good luck." She whispered under her breath before flashing him the peace sign and running off.

 _For what?_ Kirito wondered as the young girl caught up to Asaki.

Deciding not to read too far into it, he turned and grasped the keys in his hand. "So… Let's go check out our rooms."

He made his way through his friends and was the first to begin climbing the stairs. Behind him, Klein quickly stepped up after him and the rest fell in line after that. The group made their way through the door way and had a look around.

Their sandy boots echoed and clicked on the reflective marble ground; the black and white surface contrasting the golden pillars that rose to meet the lobby roof. At the center was a fountain of crystal waters and swirling design.

Above that was an opening in the ceiling. That opening was rimmed with surrounding railings, each balcony being on a separate floor form the one below. As the fairies walked beneath the architecture, they gazed up and saw all the way to the seventh floor.

"Welcome to the Golden Dragon." A female's voice softly echoed in the quiet lobby.

Kirito's eyes dropped form gazing above and turned to the front desk; behind the polished stone stood a young woman with long wavy blond hair. Her lilac eyes had a glint of mischief in them, despite her seemingly salamander appearance. She was wearing a red half-leather jacket and a black undershirt, beneath that was a pair of black tight shorts.

His vision was obstructed by the reception desk so anything below the waist of the NPC, he couldn't see.

"The name's Yang, what can I do for yah?" She continued.

"I'll handle this." Klein muttered to Kirito before snagging the keys and approaching the desk.

"Hi, we're travelers here to stay the night. We'd like to know what floor these rooms are on." He spoke smoothly, going so far as to rest a lazy elbow on the counter and lean against it coolly.

"Oh, a hot salamander like you already has silver tiered keys? Those are all the way up on the sixth floor." Yang explained. "If you want, I can call my sister to help you to your rooms." She continued before leaning in a bit and placing her hands on the reception desk.

"Or, of course. _I_ could help you settle in."

Klein locked up. His act was flawless, he knew that. What he didn't expect was for the 'cool' guy act to actually do something. Usually this was the point he'd get shot down.

Kirito stepped around the man and carefully took the keys from his sweaty palms, "The room numbers are fine. Thanks for the offers though."

Yang leaned back and seemed slightly disappointed, "Okay! You're in rooms 117 through 119. Please enjoy your stay. Oh and are you sure you don't want Ruby to show yah around?"

Looking over to Klein, Kirito realized he wasn't going to get anything out of the guy. So, he turned to the rest of the group and traded glances.

"Sure, I'd like to know more about this place." Asuna was the first to consult the question.

Silica nodded her head in agreement, "A tour would be nice."

"I'm in. It sounds like fun." Leafa continued the train of interest. "And I'd really like to meet this sister of yours."

Kirito then looked to Sinon and she seemed to avoid his eyes. "I… actually just want to see the rooftop and check out the view."

Yang clapped from behind the counter, "Then it's settled!" She turned and knocked on the door behind her, the sharp thuds echoed off the lobby walls and finally stirred Klein back to life.

"Huh, what just happened?" He sputtered out, nearly falling over from the sudden reality check.

"You scored us a tour guide." Kirito filled the hopeless man in.

"I-I did?"

The door behind the counter opened and Yang stepped to the side. "Whaf if iph fyang?" A fifteen year old girl asked, or tried to at least. She appeared to be eating something crunchy.

Crackers? No. Cookies? Maybe?

The girl named Ruby had short shoulder-length black hair; with a red tint to it. She also wore a simple dark red t-shirt.

Like her sister, she also sported salamander cloth; although she favored a skirt rather than Yang's tight shorts. Below that she wore a black pair of combat boots.

Swallowing hard, the young girl cleared her throat and realized more hotel guests had arrived. Her silver eyes quickly took in all the new fairies standing behind her older sister and squealed with glee.

"Oh my gosh! You fairies are from the mainland aren't you!?" Ruby asked excitedly. She zipped around the desk with the speed of a sylph and seemed to be checking everyone out.

Their weapons, that is.

"Katana, mace, daggers- Whoa! Is that a bow?" She whirled around, eyeing the pitch black bow resting on Sinon's back.

The Cait Sith turned a bit and stepped back, "Y-yes?"

"That's so cool." The young girl cooed before whirling around again.

"If you think that's cool, you should see some of the designs I came up with in my shop." Liz bragged to the girl. "You're lookin' at a master blacksmith here."

Ruby's eyes widened and she turned to the pink haired girl, "Really?!

"Hey uh, sis?" Yang asked, flawlessly grabbing the girl's attention. "Can you show some of these fairies around a bit?"

Realizing what she was doing, Ruby quickly subtracted herself from the group and stepped back over to her sister. "Sure, I guess. Who wants to see the ball room?"

Asuna, Liz, Leafa, Klein, and… Yui? The small navigational pixie fluttered out of Kirito's pocket and sat herself down on Asuna's shoulder.

"There's so much architecture that I haven't seen anywhere we've been yet. I'm going to check it out Daddy." She explained herself, giving Kirito a small wave.

"That's fine. It'll give you some time to spend with Asuna." Kirito smiled back.

He then pocketed one of the keys and handed the other two to Sinon and Asuna. "Here, I'll probably just walk around for a bit. You guys can go ahead and look around, I guess. This place is pretty impressive."

The day seemed to be drawing to a close. So he wanted to see if he could go back into town, or find someone here at the hotel, that could tell him what was going on. Who attacked this place? Who's been taking advantage of the people on this island?

Is this enemy going to end up being the World Quest Boss?

Kirito understood what the Cardinal System could accomplish. He experienced it first hand when Jötunheimr was still part of this world.

It's the most powerful system to ever take residence in an MMORPG.

It's unpredictable, efficient, fair, and most of all… it's fresh. That last quest was new, fun, exhilarating, he wants more of that. Playing these games with his friends has become a huge part to his everyday life. This, alongside school and programming, has been what he turns to when he's free or bored.

Why not make the most of it?

Plus, it's always fun to fight all new enemies.

"Okay, we'll let you know if we find anything interesting." Leafa replied from beside Silica.

"Yeah, no pressure." Klein stated, "We'll meet up on the rooftop after sundown."

Kirito nodded and split off from the group. With a wave over the shoulder, he worked his way back to the entrance and left the hotel.

He had some time.

Stepping down the stairs, Kirito made it down to the cobble path-

"Hey."

 _So much for running solo._ He turned around and looked up the stairs.

"Any chance you're heading into the market?" Sinon asked as she walked down the steps.

Kirito put a little thought into where he was actually planning to go. _The market does sound like a good place to start._ "Yeah, I was planning to ask around about what attacked this place."

Sinon's boots made contact with the path beside Kirito and she smiled, "Good. I'll come with you then… as soon as I buy more arrows."

"I'm surprised you lasted so long with the ones you _did_ have."

"Hey, I took out an entire raid party with a single clip. I think I'm more than capable at managing my ammunition." She responded, cat ears twitching in the breeze.

"Yeah well…" Kirito turned and headed toward the archway, "Not everyone can slice your bullets."

 _Like hell anyone can. Only you can do that, no one else is stupid enough to try._ Sinon followed after and the two took a right after the exit.

"The market place shouldn't be too hard to find." Kirito said as he opened his map. There were a few markers in their proximity. One of which was the Golden Dragon emblem for the hotel behind them, and the rest for smaller inns and taverns within the area.

He zoomed out a bit and checked the area map for the entire city, "It looks like there's a cluster of shops down on the west side. Could be the market place."

"Anything for an archer?"

In between a couple sword symbols, there was a single bow emblem. "Yep. We'll head there first. Maybe the fletcher knows something."

* * *

Blue iron arrows glistened in the falling sunlight as the two walked the streets of the market. A few other players have seemed to find their way to the island, and eventually into the current city as well. Those random players were scattered and moved around, stall to stall, sifting through high level gear.

"What was with him anyway?" Sinon asked.

"Well, we're not exactly locals."

"Doesn't matter." She sighed, "He kicked us out as soon as you started asking him questions."

"Maybe it's a touchy subject?" Kirito suggested.

Sinon shook her head, "He was scared."

Kirito took a breath and stepped up to the next stall. Sharpened swords and axes lined the walls at the back, and smaller short swords and daggers were laid out in a display case at the front.

"Looking for a nice weapon, spriggan?" The vendor asked. His tattered brown shirt scrunching up as he crossed his beefy arms.

"Depends. We're looking for the name of who attacked this city."

The vendor shifted his stance and rested his hands on the casement in front of him, "Kid. If you're not buyin', then you might as well move on."

"Hey, all I need is a name." Kirito tried to question further, but the man turned and disappeared somewhere behind a curtain.

"Kirito." Sinon leaned against the weapons case and crossed her arms below her chest, "I don't think you can haggle NPCs in this game."

The teen rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, "We know that the NPCs on this island have more advanced AI than back on the mainland. So their response algorithms could be different as well."

Usually, an NPC would detect certain key words in phrases the players say. And then they respond with their own related response and act accordingly.

These AIs are different though. Kirito and the group have literally had a conversation with Vel, and she's just an NPC. She's even up to date with their quest activities and, somehow, about their stats and profile information as well.

"We can always ask Vel." Kirito offered.

Sinon shook her head, "She might be busy."

"Later then? Maybe when we log on tomorrow?"

 _Actually._ _I might as well ask._ "Speaking of tomorrow…" Sinon began, hoping the others will hold up their end of the bet. "We could meet up and see if there are any dungeons in the area."

 _Oh yeah, I guess I did promise her back in the first town._ "Sure. A place like this should definitely hold some awesome loot."

Sinon inwardly smiled. _Well, a bet's a bet. The others can't get involved, I hope._

Kirito looked away and searched the street for anyone with asking. So far, no Info Brokers were here yet. The NPC merchants don't seem to be talking. _Maybe that guard at the gate could know a thing or two. He seemed pretty peeved at what was going on._

Checking the time, the sun had already set and the daylight was fading quickly. He promised Klein he'd meet up with the rest of the group on the hotel's rooftop tonight.

Breathing in, he took a breath and sighed. "Let's just see what Vel knows tomorrow morning. For now, let's just head back." Kirito glanced around and noticed the abundance of stars rendering in. "You _did_ say you wanted to check out the rooftop after all."

Sinon looked up and uncrossed her arms, "We might as well. And yes, I did say that. The view is probably amazing, plenty of lines of site."

"What are you planning to do, snipe someone with your bow?"

Holding up an imaginary bow, Sinon drew the string back and aimed it at Kirito. "Hey, thinking like a sniper is good practice. For all we know, this city could get attacked again. And now we're here, and we can do something about it."

* * *

"Man, that pool was amazing. Three waterfalls, two water slides, and a hot-tub?!" Klein sighed in bliss and fell to his back, "I know what _I'm_ doing tomorrow."

The stars above winked and brightened. A barely noticeable orange glow bordered the horizon, but the sky was still as bright as ever. The shining white moon sat on the furthest sand dune, and all around it were shimmering reflections of silver sand.

A cool breeze ruffled his collar as he brought his arms up, clasping his fingers behind his head. The rooftop at his back was cold to the touch now. Its temperature quickly dropped the moment the sun vacated the sky.

"You can do that. _Or_ … you can join Silica and I on the track out back. It's perfect for training our new mounts." Asuna's voice was carried in the wind. It sounded distant, yet somehow felt closer than it sounded.

The samurai looked up and saw the four girls taking two close benches to themselves. Their dimly lit figures resting at the other side of the rooftop, near the edge.

"That's a good idea actually." Leafa spoke up. "We can see what kind of upgrades we can get by leveling them up."

Klein let his eyes look back to the sky for a few more moments, the girls leaving his view. "Yeah, I guess Saraf and I learn to work together."

"Saraf?" Asuna inquired.

"Yep. I finally decided on a name." Klein sat up and stretched his arms. "What about you?"

"I… have given it some thought. But I haven't decided yet." She admitted, opening up her inventory and looking at her new equipped 'Mount' slot. She had the option to name her Rapitaru, so it had crossed her mind a few times already.

Klein nodded and pulled himself to his feet. "Good names are hard to come by." He stated simply as he looked around for another bench.

There were a couple stone benches spread out across the flat rooftop of the hotel. Off to the side, off centered, was the only protruding structure beside the raised stone ledge. It was the stairwell they used to access the rooftop.

Star gazing was just another option at this inn.

"Daddy!"

Yui suddenly flew up from Asuna's shoulder and looked off into the distance. Two dark figures flew through the air from within the city.

"So that's where Sinon went." Leafa realized.

"Maybe she was buying more arrows." Silica offered.

The two fairies touched down at the center of the roof, and immediately one of them collapsed onto his back. "Man, intelligence gathering is tough work. How do the Info Brokers do it?!" He sighed into the air, arms lying at his sides.

"Someone looks tired." Klein commented, towering over the dark spriggan on his back.

"We decided to ask around for any clues that'll lead us to who attacked this place." Sinon elaborated, although she sounded a bit disappointed and tired herself.

"I take it you didn't find anything?" Asuna asked.

Kirito raised his arm into the air and formed a fist, "Nope."

Liz got up and walked over to the ledge, something catching her eye. "Hey guys, I think the walls are nearly complete."

The others got up as she watched the last of the workers begin work on laying the stones.

"Well, looks like they've put our metal supports to use." Leafa pointed out, noticing that the outer walls were now reinforced with them.

"Those can hold their own against any invasion force." Klein spoke up from behind, "You girls did a nice job. I was thinking you had the easiest job."

"Oh, it was definitely easy." Liz laughed, "What do you take me for? How hard do you think it is to roll super heated steel into panels then merge them?"

"Sorry, my bad." Klein surrendered, playfully raising his hands in defeat. "In any case, it's been a long day. Let's log out and meet back up tomorrow."

The fairies of the group noticed the time and voiced their agreements. It was getting late. And most of them didn't even eat dinner yet, that meal was whole heartedly skipped a while ago.

As some turned toward the stairwell, the final stone brick fell into place. In the distance, the loose cracks in the wall glowed with a faint white light, before melding together and disappearing. All around the city, the walls coursed with a pulsating aura.

Everyone paused and turned to see what was happening. The light in the walls flowed downward and poured into the streets. White veins glowing brighter the closer they got to the central tower, and once they pushed into its base, the whole structure lit up.

The cylindrical spire swirled with energy before sending a column of blinding white light into the sky. Its speed sent it high into the air before it seemed to smash into an invisible wall. The aura split and spanned over the entire city, its edges dropping to meet the outer edges of the outside walls.

A dome of light formed before slowly fading away, and high above the city's center spawned the golden words that Klein and Kirito recognized almost immediately.

«Safe Zone Secured»

"Okay, that was _so_ much cooler than when you explained it to us earlier." Leafa gaped at the shimmering letters in the sky.

"No kidding, that was awesome." Sinon agreed.

"Hah! See!" Klein crossed his arms, "We really weren't exaggerating."

The sound of a heavy door creaking open caused the fairies to turn around.

Kirito flinched under everyone's collected gaze, "What?" He asked awkwardly, door stopping halfway. "I missed dinner, I'm hungry."

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Where is the motivation when you need it?**

 **It seems to only roll around whenever it feels like it.**

 **Anyway, time for a bit of an excuse train. This isn't a normal thing, delaying for so long. I'd decided to take a bit of a break after working hard on and posting an 18k word chapter for my main story. So that's what I did, and it worked out fairly well. Not a long break of course, just about a week of work then a week of break.**

 **Now I'm sick. I'm pretty sure I've become reliant on creative writing. My body can't work right without the task of smashing words onto a page letter by letter. What has the world come to?!**

 **Oh well, still coughing as I write this, but here I am. And I'm back to writing, even though I only do so when creating a chapter. I like getting these things entirely done within one or two sessions.**

 **Less plot holes that way.**

 _ **Review**_ **! You have no idea what they mean for an author.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **the story, plenty more chapters to come. I'm still a decent way off from the end goal.**

 **Cya XP**


	7. Heated

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Heated

«»

Hot, really, really hot.

Kirito pulled at the collar of his coat, seriously considering actually un-equipping it today. The sun above beat down on the sand dunes around him, scolding its surface and emanating heat waves from the landscape.

His boots pressed firmly into the sand, heavy steps due to the heat fatigue debuff blinking frustratingly next to his name in his HUD.

 _There has to be a way to counter act this, anything… anything at all would be awesome._ Kirito grumbled as he opened his mini-map.

The screen blinked open after a few taps and he zoomed out from his current location. Here and there were a few red dots that he could sense, enemies in the desert. He ran into a few, but overall not many. Last night there was a lot more heavy resistance, but in the end, it was good practice anyway.

Now though, after five hours of sleep, things seriously calmed down. The only real threat was the heat.

It was barely noticeable when they first got here, but after a day, it seemed to increase in effect the longer you stayed in the sun.

To the east, half a kilometer away was the city of blacksmiths. He scrolled over to it and looked over all the emblems again. Sword shops, magic shops, inns and a few bakeries. Lots of armor merchants. But among them, off to the side, was a small water droplet emblem.

 _Water? Or is that just a well… huh. Either way, I think I'll check it out. Just in case._ Kirito flicked his menu closed and headed off for the walls in the blurry distance. Far behind him shimmered a sandstone obelisk, flickering in the dancing lights of the desert sun and it's enchantments.

* * *

"Hyah!" Kirito grunted, dragging his onyx sword through the neck of a Sand Serpent that got too close. Its entire head became severed and detached from the body, both soon exploding in a storm of more golden particles.

Beyond the flickering flurry of color, a dark blur dashed through the darkness and began attacking a lone Sand Serpent mid-dive. The bright moon was the only illumination for the vast open desert, and its pearl shine glimmered off of the obelisk at Kirito's flank.

The enemy was just a large snake, but its scales were dusty and sandy, tan in color. Across its back was thin bone-like plating, each one over-laid to not restrict movement. The head seemed like a cobra's and its tail had spikes protruding out of the appendage. Its fangs were sharpened, and it's beady red eyes glared maliciously at its assailant.

"Uh… how yah doing over there?" Kirito asked, not really sure what phrases to use; or if it'll respond at all. It _was_ fighting head to head with a cobra twice his size.

…

No response, the blur just kept slashing and dodging attacks from a second and a third serpent that seemed to home in on them.

"Okay then." With a sigh, Kirito opened his menu and navigated to the skills tab. Scrolling through that, he found his 'Shadow Companion' ability. He tapped it, wondering if there were any extra options behind it.

The tab branched off and opened more sub menus.

"Ahah, knew it-"

His menu shattered as the spiked tail of a sand serpent crashed into his gut. The sharpened appendage pierced his coat and sent him reeling into the obelisk behind him. "Whoa, where'd you come from?"

With a quick parry and a roll to the side, Kirito jogged around the tall chiseled stone and kept the obstacle between him and the mob at all times. "So, uhh… I guess my Shadow Companion's busy?"

The serpent only hissed at Kirito, its full green health bar giving the answer he was searching for.

 _Alright then._ Kirito looked over to see his shadowy doppelganger sword-locked with the fangs of another enemy. _He really sucks right now._ Kirito sighed.

His summoning skill was at an impressive… level 2 now. Great. _How do I even level that up? If that increases, my summon's strength increases as well. And eventually I'll start unlocking perks in the skill tree._

Right now, his only skill under that new tree was the 'Mana Conservation' perk. All it did was half the cost it took to summon a companion. That was about it.

Keeping his eyes bouncing between the serpent he was still avoiding, and his companion, he slowly hoped that his shadow would kill off its prey and begin work on this one.

The sound of shattering glass echoed off the dark sands, and immediately afterward a pop up message appeared in front of Kirito.

«Summoning Now Level 3!»

Dual Companion Skill Unlocked

«Confirm»

 _Cool, so this obelisk really does work._ Kirito thought happily. He heard from some of the magic merchants here that there was a stone that granted the fairies around it a buff in a certain branch of magic. After an hour of searching, in the air and on the ground, he found it.

He realized pretty quickly that its 'buff' was for summoning. It granted him +15% Summoning Experience.

But going by the rumors, it only activates under the light of the moon. So, he decided to stay up for a while and hone his seriously lacking skill.

Dismissing the level up message, Kirito quickly re-entered his inventory and spent a perk point on unlocking his new ability. With a quick glance, he read off that he could now summon two companions at once.

His face immediately dropped. _But… I can only use my Shadow Companion once a day._ He sighed and took a step to the side, letting said companion fly past and pierce its blade into the throat of the serpent he's been keeping at bay.

"Well that sucks."

As Kirito went to close his menu, he noticed a notification flashing in his skill tab. _Weird._ He thought as he quirked a brow. He switched over to the flashing emblem and sifted through his skills. Right below his 'Shadow Companion', under the summoning category, was the reason for the flashing icon.

«Wolf Familiar»

"…huh?" After a short pause, Kirito realized he had apparently unlocked a new skill.

Absently, he selected the ability and it gave him a simple two-word phrase to read off. He looked it over, and double checked his mana. The blue bar was maxed out, so hopefully he had enough to summon this thing.

The spriggan held out his free hand and read off his newly learned words, "Lýkos… Sýntrofos."

Two golden words snapped into place at his front and flashed, sending a swirling orb of black and purple into the ground in front of him. The energy swarmed and grew, spiraling in a wide sphere of darkness before it flashed white.

Holding his hand up and looking away, Kirito wasn't expecting the sudden flash. After a few seconds and multiple blinks, he looked back and met the dark eyes of an Arabian Wolf. Its fur was mostly tan; with a few worn patches of white and a small amount of black on its lower back.

It tilted its head, looking back at Kirito. All he did was meet its gaze and kept staring. It… looked just like an average wolf. 40 pounds, around 26 inches in shoulder height. _I guess it's just a simple summon._

"Uhh…" Kirito realized he should probably give it a command. Finally breaking eye contact, he took a breath and checked his menu again. This time, he had plenty of time to check out the sub menu that opened from the summoning skills tab.

"Let's see… here we go…" Kirito closed his menu and looked back to his wolf. "Sentry Mode."

The familiar barked once and bolted off, ducking past his shadow companion and gnawing into the side of its combatting sand serpent.

A drifting streak of wispy purple trailed behind it before dissipating into the cold night air.

He noticed an additional icon up next to his name. It had a small eye, like a wolf's eye, as an image. Beside that was a timer that seemed to have started counting down from five minutes. _I guess I'll have to spawn another one when this one de-spawns._ He noted as he watched the health bar of their targeted serpent slowly diminish.

 _Alright, so now I have two companions. Does that mean double xp?_ Kirito watched his experience bar for the next thirty minutes. It wasn't double xp, but it certainly was a bit more efficient. Even if his companions had drastically different attack powers, the two of them worked like a somewhat oiled machine.

So, he guessed it was better than just his shadow duplicate.

After another two hours, he began to realize things were getting pretty boring. Grinding has always been a tedious task. Any gamer will tell you the same.

But Kirito? He's the king of grinding. He's been able to do it for as long as he wanted, whenever he felt like it.

So, if he was getting bored, then something needs to change. _I guess watching my summoned companions fight isn't very interesting._ Kirito extended his arm into the air. He was currently sitting on top of the obelisk, legs dangling over the edge.

Maybe he could…

Aiming his open palm to the ground, he summoned another wolf. But his previous one just disappeared, and seemed to reappear in the spot of the new summon. _I wonder if that gets me more experience._

A few more spammed spell tests later, and he realized it wasn't much of a difference. In fact, companion kills net him more, so he stopped.

An hour passed by, and he was beginning to get sore. Sitting in one place for so long was getting tiresome, and his growing drowsiness wasn't helping either. _Maybe I should just go and sleep…_

He shifted his weight to slide off, but something new caught his eye. Looking up, he noticed another fairy nearby.

Not an NPC, or a mob, an actual player. Out and about at this time of night.

Kirito watched as the fairy killed a sand serpent and walked over to where he sat. They were the first to talk, "Hey." She said with a small wave.

They were a girl, from what he could tell. It was pretty dark though.

"…y-yo." Kirito eventually responded, sliding fully off the obelisk and landing silently. He straightened out his coat and looked around. His continuous stream of mobs seemed to slow down. _Guess this would be a good time to stop._

"So there are other people here after all." The girl commented, sheathing a katzbalger styled sword onto her waist.

He couldn't make out the details, but it looked pretty cool. Its blade was shorter than his own, a bit wider too, and its hilt had an 'S' shaped design to it, maybe even a figure eight. The rest of her clothing was black, as far as he could tell. Spriggan maybe?

"Yeah, I really wasn't expecting to see too many people yet." Kirito responded, taking a look over to his familiar and shadow. The two stuck around for a few seconds before homing in on another serpent that wandered too close.

"Are those familiars?" The newcomer asked, eyeing up the two entities that dashed by her.

The swordsman nodded, "Yeah…" He wasn't too sure if he should stick around for a while longer, but in the end… he was still getting tired. Sleep would be nice, he's been grinding for a few hours now anyway.

"Cool! So you've already grabbed some new spells from the new update!" The girl suddenly commented.

 _Update?_ Kirito couldn't help but think. Usually when there's an update, it'd kick everyone off in order to install it into the game database. "When did the game update?"

Through the dark of the night, he noticed the girl give him a confused look. "The game updated today, it was a little sudden. Actually, it was quite a surprise. There was no hype for it at all, then suddenly… the game updated. I'm not sure if it kicked anyone off this time, but I'm pretty sure the admins are posting something on the forums about it."

 _Seriously? Did they even know about it? And does it have anything to do with this island?_ Kirito was sifting through his thoughts, wondering why the admins never sent out any potential concept art or trailers for new content.

This was just all too weird. First, a mysterious island shows up out of nowhere without a peep out of the admins. Then, this new skill tree opens up for magic users. Is this the Cardinal System's doing? Could the system update the game on its own accord?

Well, the Cardinal System inside ALO _is_ the same system that ran SAO. But, not even SAO could self-evolve without the game developers doing something. It just ran the game, it didn't control it.

Everything Kirito thought about that system changed however when he got Excalibur, and the mission he had to do to get it. So, this was entirely possible. This could just be a massive new quest zone, and the developers are just using it as a source for a new 'update'. Is this even called an update then? Or is it just extra content that the system whipped up to keep itself fresh on quests?

"You're being seriously quiet…"

Kirito snapped to the sudden pair of light purple eyes staring into his own. _When did she get so close?!_ He gulped as the girl lifted her finger, and then poked him in the chest.

"Did it shock you that much? I thought it was pretty obvious. All the information brokers know about it by now." The brunette, he now figured out what color hair she had, tilted her head and leaned back; moving a comfortable distance away again.

"R-right, sorry. I guess I never noticed." Kirito admitted as his excuse. He'll definitely need to check out the forums to see what's up. Maybe he'll get a better idea for what this island is really about.

"Fair enough. I think only the people who check the forums often know about it." She sighed, crossing her arms and looking past Kirito. He turned to see his wolf disappear in a wisp of purple smoke, just as his shadow finished off its enemy.

"Okay, good point." Kirito checked his in-game time and realized how late it was. It was also a rude reminder on how tired he was actually feeling. Today he's supposed to go with Sinon on a solo run.

 _It's nearly three, I've been up for way too long._ "Well, I'm going to log out. This is a nice spot for grinding if you're interested. I'll… see you… around?" Goodbyes really weren't his thing, let alone conversations with strangers.

"…Alyks." The girl stated with a smile, "And yeah, I guess I'll keep a look out for you. Maybe, you seem pretty boring though." Alyks stuck her tongue out at Kirito and flashed him a 'V' sign. "…and you are?"

"Kirito. The name's Kirito. And you haven't seen anything yet, this is just me trying to level up my new skills." Kirito placed his hands on his hips and used a proud tone in his voice. "I really need to go though. See yah."

Kirito gave Alyks a nod and spawned in his wings. Surprisingly, his shadow companion sprouted its own wings as well and followed him into the air. The girl waved to the two as Kirito took off toward the city, flying his way through the brisk air at an average pace.

 _She was… unexpected. I wonder how many people have found this island now._ In a few minutes, Kirito flew over the newly upgraded walls of the city and made his was over to the Golden Dragon inn they were staying at.

He quietly touched down on the roof and entered the stairwell, logging out inside his room soon after.

* * *

 _I wonder if that water will help get rid of this heat fatigue._ Kirito briefly considered taking flight, but he had used up his flight time getting to the obelisk anyway. The reason being, he wanted to see if the enchantment really was just a nightly thing.

It was.

Its effects were non-existent when he checked it out a few minutes ago. So it really was just something that happened after the sun went down.

He really wasn't planning on being on for long. Just log in, check the obelisk, log out. But this heat is starting to be a huge problem, and could definitely get in the way of what he promised to do today. Seriously, sometimes… the 'reality' senses mechanic in this game was a bit _too_ realistic.

 _Maybe today's just really hot? Hmm… doesn't matter._ Flicking open his friends list, he noticed no one was online yet. So, he still had a bit of time to check it out.

After another 20 minutes of walking, he made it into the city and started navigating his way through the streets. The merchants were already opening shop, and other players were slightly more abundant than the days prior.

 _Looks like this place is really starting to go public._ Looking around, Kirito noted about fifteen or so other players shopping in the market district.

He walked passed them and turned a corner, at the end of that street was what he was looking for. Right above one of the shops on his map, was that water icon. _Here we are…_ Kirito opened the heavy door and headed inside.

It was… quaint; small, natural, and a lot of canteens and canisters. They were everywhere, and looked to be made of some sort of leather or scales. The shelves were made of wood, and there were fake leaves placed throughout the store. At its center looked to be a well, and to his right was the NPC selling the goods.

"What's in stock?" Kirito asked casually, walking up to the old woman. She scrunched up her eyes and gave him a small smile, gesturing to the wall of canteens behind her. As she did so, an item list opened up just above the counter.

The spriggan walked over and began scrolling through the large assortment of water canisters. As he sifted through, he realized the prices were pretty fair. And the most expensive ones gave at least +30 Hydration on each canteen, as well as having +10 Capacity. _These will totally help out._

* * *

"Yo, Kirito! Guess what we stumbled across during our tour last night." Klein called out, opening the door to their shared room.

Kirito looked up from his inventory; seven new items taking residence in his player storage. "Let me guess, a bowling alley?"

Klein lifted his finger and opened his mouth, a large smile crossing his face. "Yeah… no, but that would be awesome. We found a hot spring man! _And_ there's a festival going on in the city!"

"A… hot spring? And what's with the festival?" Kirito repeated.

"Yeah. The hot spring's out back, and I think it's fairy-made. It's not really natural, but it's still cool. The festival is probably to celebrate the safe zone or something." Klein ran a hand through his hair and threw some sort of cloth object at Kirito.

The spriggan caught it and spread it out in his hands. It was black, with shiny white trimming designs sewn into its silky threads. "A kimono." As soon as he said it, a trade window popped up in his face. Under the items offered was exactly that, a black kimono.

"Oh just accept the trade and equip it. We're all doing it." Klein said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder and into the hallway. "They're all getting ready."

Kirito nodded and accepted the trade, standing up from his position on the bed. He stretched his arms and stalked over to the low seat on the ground. There were three more in front of him, all of which situated around a small table.

"Got'cha. Sounds like fun." The swordsman responded as he reopened his inventory and called out his Eostryder; the ebony blade spawning in his hand with a passing sheen of reflecting light.

"Oh come on!" Klein suddenly sighed, stepping fully inside and closing the door. "Don't tell me you don't even know the weight of the situation?!"

 _Weight? It's just a bunch of kimonos then some bathing suits._ "We've been to the beach with them before. What's the difference?" The water's just hot, that's it. No difference. Kirito shrugged it off as he unsheathed his blade and laid it out on the table with motherly care.

He's already attempted to read the text on the blade, but it dates back further than anything he's ever heard of. The letters, or characters, or whatever they may be called were ancient. Really, really ancient. He doubted it was even Japanese, but his current language could have branched off from whatever it was inscribed into this sword.

 _It has to be something involving its lore. It has to be. It can't be anything else…_ Kirito thought as he tapped the item and sifted through the revealed information for the umpteenth time.

In the background, Klein was left hanging with a befuddled expression on his face. _Does… does he really not know?_ The samurai thought, eyes locked onto the spriggan sitting calmly at the table.

"…hahhh." Klein let out a long breath and strolled over, sitting himself down on the soft seat opposite Kirito. He kept one leg bent at the knee and the other crossed beneath it, leaning back on his hands as he looked toward his friend.

"Okay, let me ask you something. Have you ever seen an anime before?" The man asked.

Kirito looked up for a second before leaning back, giving Klein a confused smile. "Of course I have."

 _Hmmm… then why doesn't he…_ "Okay. Then, you must know what a 'hot spring' scene turns into… right?" The slightly older guy continued.

This time, Kirito looked away and broke eye contact. "Yeah, of course I do." He looked toward the door for a few seconds before returning to Klein, "But come on, this is reality… sort of. There's no way that'll actually happen."

"I beg to differ!" Klein suddenly exclaimed, slamming a palm down on the table, "This is a video game. Therefore, this is _not_ reality. And so… this is entirely possible!"

 _I seriously doubt a game, loved by thousands, will mix up times at a hot spring. It doesn't make sense._ Kirito shook his head in thought; he really didn't think Klein was onto anything. Anime can have their fun and all, but it's all just fiction in the end. It's some sort of fantasy dream.

"Further more!" Klein stuck his hand into the air as if he was reaching for the stars, "This is also a fantasy game. Come on man, the signs are all there. You just need to know where to look."

"Only you see the signs man." Kirito chuckled as he reached forward and put his sword back into his inventory.

"They're everywhere, how can you _not_ see them?" Klein asked in confusion, falling onto his back. For some reason, his tone of voice sounded like he had just witnessed the failure of the world.

"Klein, come on. This is just a delusion you've whipped up. It simply won't happen."

Lifting an arm into the air, Klein opened his mouth to retort but just sighed instead. "…you're helpless."

Moments later, a knock came from the door.

"That's probably for you." _Baka._ Klein added mentally as he pointed toward the door.

Kirito got up and made his way over. _Maybe the girls are ready._ He opened the door and was a bit surprised at who he saw.

"Yo," The woman gave a small wave and a wink, smiling at Kirito as she looked past him. "I'm looking for that hot salamander."

There was a loud thump and shuffling from behind, and what sounded like a wooden table tilting and crashing to the floor. As Kirito looked over his shoulder to see what Klein just did, he saw the man standing rigid and staring in disbelief right back at him.

Behind him lay a tipped over table.

"Yeah, he's here. Why do you ask?" Kirito questioned, _And why do I get the feeling you're not an NPC anymore… crap. She's not an NPC… is she…?_

Yang shrugged her shoulders, twirling a strand of her golden hair around her finger, "What? He seems like a nice guy, pretty funny too."

Again, she gave Kirito a big smile and crossed her arms.

 _R-right…_ Kirito turned around and eyed Klein. The man was literally still standing there, frozen. _Is he lagging?_ "Yo… Klein! Yang has the hots for you."

As if the spriggan had just smashed the reboot button on a computer, Klein seemed to snap to meet Kirito's gaze before opening his mouth to say something.

It closed immediately afterward though. Perhaps his language settings got messed up in the forced reboot?

"I think I broke him." Yang commented with a laugh, peaking in next to Kirito.

The teen could only nod in agreement.

* * *

"Hey, where's Klein?" Sinon asked as she waved Kirito down. The girls were currently standing around in the lobby, all of which fitted in colorful kimonos.

Kirito walked up in his own and shrugged, "He's probably out in the city with Yang or something by now."

The words seemed to trigger some sort of slow-motion head turning synchronized routine…

"W-what?" Asuna was the first to speak up.

"I-isn't she an NPC?" Silica asked.

Kirito shook his head, "I'm not really too sure anymore. She acts human, and there's no way to tell if she is or isn't inside a safe zone. You all know player names and icons don't show up in towns. Not unless you're in a party."

It's probably to reduce the information being read from everyone's individual HUDs… either that or to not confuse the players with hundreds of player icons and an overwhelming sea of names.

"Good for him." Leafa smiled; glad that their shared friend might finally find someone. You know, unless he blows it of course.

"Yeah, Klein's finally getting some action!" Liz laughed, fist in the air. "So anyway, aren't you going to say anything, Kirito?"

Kirito looked at her and lifted an eyebrow in confusion, "Say what?"

He seemed to get no reply for a few seconds. The girls just looked at each other, then to Kirito, before they silently gravitated to looking at Sinon; causing the cait sith to blush.

"W-why me?" She whispered to Asuna, but the girl didn't give her a response.

Sinon kept looking at her friends, wondering why she was elected, but otherwise realized she had just lost this battle. With that thought, she turned to Kirito and took a breath, "W-we want to know… what you think o-of our kimonos?"

She gripped her arm with her other hand loosely, breaking eye contact as soon as the words left her lips. The rest of the girls seemed to wait in baited anticipation.

"O-oh…" Kirito reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, giving the girls a once over before giving his best smile, "You all look great."

Unfortunately, his eyes lingered on Sinon for one too many seconds and caused her to blush even more; gripping her arm tighter and adverting her eyes completely. She wore a light blue kimono with white snowflake patterns throughout. The light material hugged her figure nicely, as did the rest of the girls' kimonos.

Asuna wore a white kimono with red cherry leaf tree designs intricately sewn into it. Liz wore a similarly white and pink one; however her leaves were a light pink rather than a deep red. Leafa stood idly in her misty green kimono, golden trim glimmering in the light of the lobby.

Beside her stood Silica with Pina sitting on her soft hair, the cait sith wore a red kimono with black flower patterns throughout it.

"Yeah, you all look really pretty." Yui commented, flying her way from Asuna's shoulder to the center of the group. "Daddy's looking pretty cool too!"

Kirito gave a small smirk to the little AI and placed his hands on his hips, "It's just a black kimono." He dismissed, his kimono revealing a few pure white trim designs as well.

"Oh don't be so modest. You look pretty cool in that thing." Liz interjected, causing a few of the girls to nod in agreement.

 _Why are they making this so awkward?_ "So? Klein said there's a hot spring here, I'm assuming you all want the first time table slot?"

The girls traded looks and a few shoulders were shrugged, "Actually, Liz and I were thinking of checking out the festival." Leafa spoke up.

"Oh, can I go with you girls?!" Silica asked.

"Sure thing, anyone else?" Liz looked around and saw Yui float up a bit.

"Oh, oh that sounds like a lot of fun!" She called out in a light voice. Yui glided over to Leafa, becoming the girl's temporary navigational fairy for now. She wasn't technically Kirito's official navigational fairy, so when Kirito and Asuna were on at different times, she found herself switching between their two inventories.

Now she could do it with just about anyone in their party.

"And the rest of you?" Kirito asked, looking to the rest of the remaining two girls.

"Hot spring." Asuna stated simply. "We want to see just how real it feels in a virtual reality game, and it's just so much more convenient too." She placed a finger on her chin and turned to Sinon. "What do you think, Sinon?"

Sinon seemed to snap back to reality, glancing to Kirito then to the person addressing her. "Y-yeah, sure."

Asuna clapped her hands with a grin and looked to the rest, "Well, you all have fun. We might join you when our shift ends."

"H-hey, Kirito? What are you going to do?" Sinon asked quietly, catching his attention.

"Me? Not really too sure…" He stretched his arms over his head and leaned back and forth, pulling at the muscles in his back. "I was planning to just wait until the hot spring opened up."

He dropped his arms and gave his shoulders a short roll.

Sinon nodded, finally getting the blush out of her cheeks, "I think each time table lasts for about an hour. So you have time to burn."

"You can always come with us while you wait." Leafa offered, gesturing to Liz and Silica behind her.

Kirito looked between all the girls and looked up in though. "Well… there was this one thing I think I need to buy." _A bunch of mana potions. Oh, hold on…_ "Oh yeah, I need to give you all something."

He opened his inventory and distributed the canteens throughout the group. "Here, these are for that debuff you get on super-hot days." Kirito held on to Klein's canteen, he didn't get much of a chance to give it to the guy earlier.

"Yeah, I noticed that when I logged on today." Sinon said, checking the item in her inventory.

"So did I. Did anyone notice it yesterday?" Asuna added, the others shook their heads no to her question.

"Weird, do you think it's because we've been here for a while?" Leafa asked.

Kirito thought about it for a few seconds but shook his head, "No way, usually temperature effects are instantaneous. So the environment is probably just on a hot setting today."

"Well, there's that, but we all know that this island is different than what we're used to." Asuna added in.

"True." Kirito sighed, crossing his arms as he put more thought into it. "Either way, we should probably be careful out there. Those canteens should help, but still… don't go and give your avatars heat stroke or anything."

The rest nodded in understanding as Kirito considered going to Vel with his questions. This was just another one to add to the pile. But, today's supposed to be a day to enjoy themselves after what they went through to get here. _I guess Vel will have to wait._ He looked up just in time to catch a 'let's go' hand motion from Yui and the three girls, all of them on their way out of the lobby's front doors.

"Right, I'll be back for my shift. You two have fun, and let me know if the temperature's hot enough!" Kirito said as he jogged his way out of the lobby, giving Sinon and Asuna a small wave as he left.

* * *

Sinon sighed in relief and bliss as she sunk further into the steaming waters. The warm rocks soothing her bare back as she adjusted herself against the edge of the hot spring.

"You know, the developers did a hell of a job with getting this to feel just right." Asuna commented beside her, the undine sinking into the waters clad in a red and white bikini.

"Yeah, I wonder how long that took." Sinon responded, closing her eyes and resting her head on the rocks behind her; her own avatar wearing a bright blue bikini beneath the surface of the water.

Around them was a rather large garden of sorts. The boundaries were entirely fenced off, and all throughout the area was soft grass and stone pathways. A cherry blossom tree grew healthily a little ways away from the hot spring, and all above them were floating lanterns of numerous different colors.

"Hey…" Sinon started, opening her eyes and looking over to Asuna, "Who do you think is behind all this? The raids, the monsters, the damaged towns, who's capable of all this?"

Her question brought up some good possible answers to think about. But in the end, the real answer wouldn't be found until they reached that point in the quest. "I'm not sure, but they probably won't be an easy battle." Asuna replied, looking up at the lanterns.

Sinon hummed in response and relaxed again, the two falling into a warming silence as they relished in the hot spring.

After a little while, there was a bit of rippling in the water and Sinon looked over to see Asuna right next to her.

"Hey, now _I_ have a question…" Asuna said, settling down next to the cait sith and keeping her eyes on her prey. "How long have you been in love with Kirito?"

"W-what?! T-that's not r-really a fair question!" Sinon replied with a blush quickly spreading across her cheeks.

"Oh, it's completely fair. I'm just curious." Asuna laughed, poking fun at her friend. "So? How long?"

Sinon bit her lip and looked away, the heat suddenly feeling hotter against her pale skin. "I-I… ever since Gun Gale Online I-I guess…" She squeezed out in a sheepish voice.

Asuna smiled and scooted away a bit, "That long huh?" _I wonder why he's able to attract the attention of so many girls…_ She thought for a little while, letting Sinon get over her blush and relax a little.

"I'm not very good at this." Sinon suddenly spoke.

"Hmm? At what?" Asuna asked curiously.

"At… this." Sinon looked down with a new blush and muttered, "This… girl talk stuff."

Asuna gave Sinon a warm smile and rested a hand on her back, "It's okay. No one's asking you to be."

Sinon nodded and smiled her thanks. But she still had a hint of contemplation in her eyes. _Should I ask her?_ She thought, eyes roaming the water then back to Asuna. Her hands clenched beneath the waters as she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again soon after. Rethinking what she was going to say.

"Okay, what's up? You obviously want to ask me something." Asuna pointed out, having noticed the girl's behavior.

Sinon's eyes widened a bit before she took a deep breath, trying to find the words she wanted to say earlier, "H-how…" She trailed off, but Asuna waited patiently for the cait sith to ask her question.

"How do I get Kirito to notice me?" Sinon asked shyly, a faint blush returning to her cheeks.

Asuna was a bit taken aback by her question, but out of everyone, she was the best person to ask. Sinon waited in baited silence, the anticipation for some sort of answer growing with the passing seconds.

"You want me to be honest?" Asuna asked, Sinon nodding subtly in front of her. The girl sighed and gave Sinon the best answer she knew… the truth, "I think he already notices you."

Sinon's eyes snapped to Asuna's own chestnut eyes, "I highly doubt that."

Asuna stretched her arms out in front of her and let her fingers rest just below the water, "Sometimes it's hard to tell, but I know he does. He likes to act dense at times, well, more times than not. But he's a smart guy, it's hard to believe that he doesn't see everyone's intentions."

"But, you still haven't answered my question…"

"Oh, well I've seen the way he looks at you!" Asuna said, turning to Sinon and giggling, "He acts differently around you. More so than the rest of the girls. He's probably just too scared to acknowledge it."

"H-how can you tell?"

Asuna smirked and pointed to herself, "I'm what you call an expert in what goes on in Kirito's head."

Sinon took a few moments before giving a brief nod, "Well… still, I don't really see anything different about him when I'm around."

Asuna sighed and reached over, flicking Sinon in the nose. The sudden thump caused the cait sith to flinch and lean back, cupping her hands over her face. "H-hey!"

"Stop being so stubborn!" Asuna laughed, meeting Sinon's blue gaze, "He's more open with you. I can tell. You just have to try to get through that thick skull of his. I'm not saying to admit your feelings to him, but you should at least do _something_ to try to hint at them." Asuna waved at the air as if she was dismissing some of the details, "If that doesn't work, _then_ you admit your feelings."

Sinon blushed and shook her head, hands still coving half her face, "I can't do that…"

"Of course you can!" Asuna gave Sinon her best smile, "You'll do fine, trust me."

The cait sith was still in denial, struggling to think properly right now but all she could do was wonder if Asuna's words were what she should really do. "I-if you say so." Sinon took a shallow breath, lowering her hands back into the water.

"I'll give you some time to think." Asuna stated, standing up and stepping out of the fairy-made spring. She walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a white towel off of it. She opened up the menu with her other hand and checked the time.

Their session ended about five minutes ago. _Wow, where'd the time go? I'm so glad Kirito didn't show up right on time, or he would've… now that I think about it._ A wide smirk slowly grew across Asuna's lips as she looked back to Sinon.

"You still have half an hour, so feel free to relax as much as you want!" She called out. The hot spring has the potential to be co-ed after all.

"O-okay, and thanks… Asuna, for the advice." Sinon's cat ears perked up as she peaked over the edge to Asuna.

"Sure thing." Asuna responded with a smile. She then walked back inside the inn, towel in hand.

* * *

Kirito walked through the halls with his inventory open, scrolling through his new potions he bought from the market. Most of them were weaker, but the rest were greater in effect. He had to go with the ones that were affordable after all.

"Oh, Kirito!"

"Hmm?" He looked up from his inventory and met eyes with Asuna, heading the other way. "Asuna. Hey, how was the hot spring?"

Asuna gave a crooked smile, "It was great. The scenery was good too. Careful though, it could get pretty hot in there." She informed with a wink.

"Awesome, so it's plenty hot then?" Kirito asked.

"Plenty."

The spriggan nodded and looked back to his inventory, switching over to a new tab and equipping his swim trunks. "Sounds good, where's Sinon?" He said with a quick look around.

"Oh, she's off somewhere probably." Asuna responded with a finger on her chin, "Go have fun, I'm going to go join the rest in town." She smiled and walked past Kirito, giving him a short wave.

 _Well that was weird._ It's not like Asuna to act like that. Kirito waved her goodbye and closed his inventory, making his way further down the hall after checking the time. _Ten minutes after my time slot was supposed to start, damn. I guess I'm a bit late to my own party huh?_ He came across an entryway with a draped cloth falling down the frame as the door.

On it was a symbol. _Hot Spring._ _Here it is…_ He pushed the cloth to the side and entered.

The place looked nice. There were tall rocks here and there, stone pathways leading into a grassy garden with a cherry blossom tree at its center. The hot spring had a weird shape to it, but it's obvious it was made to look natural.

Going based off of the steam rising from the water, it looked pretty alluring too. He took a step forward before freezing on the spot.

His blood ran cold as he noticed a pair of dusty blue cait sith ears rise over the rocky edge of the hot spring.

 _Sinon!_ Kirito didn't dare move, his face quickly flushing red as the girl slowly stood up. _Please don't turn around, please don't, please don't, please don't-_

Sinon turned around just as Kirito was about to turn high tail and sneak out of there.

Bright reflective blue eyes met onyx as the two made awkward eye contact.

Sinon's eyes widened as she tilted her head in mild confusion and ears flicking cutely, as if something just wasn't clicking. A few seconds later, a moment of realization dawned on her and before anyone could move…

…she drew her bow from her inventory and nocked an arrow.

"S-s-sorry!" Kirito suddenly sputtered out, then bowed his head quickly, face reddening even more so. The wind split a moment later and something sharp whistled by his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few strands of his hair shatter into a million pieces as an arrow struck wood behind him.

"K-kirito! W-why are y-you here?! Asuna said I had more _time_!" Sinon shouted, her face as red as Kirito's. She quickly drew another arrow and took aim.

 _Asuna?! She said… shit…_ "I-I can leave, b-but it's my turn! Look at the time!" Kirito yelled back, swiping open his inventory to show Sinon the time. Their HUDs both hidden by the effects of the hot spring buff blinking next to both their names.

Sinon's eyes widened further and her finger slipped, loosing her arrow involuntarily. She cringed as she saw it heading straight for Kirito's leg.

The blue arrow impacted moments later, and all Kirito did was stare down at it.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" Sinon quickly apologized, un-equipping her black Bane of Shadows.

"I-it's… fine…" Kirito said slowly, a shade of fear shadowing his face. "I think I'll just go."

"No!" Sinon interrupted, blushing heavily as she hid herself in the steam. "I-I…" She took a deep breath and calmed her nerves as best she could, "I don't mind you being in here… with me…"

Kirito's mind was rushing frantically as he watched the arrow de-spawn from his leg. The wound fading soon after as one of his healing abilities kicked in. "A-are you sure?" _Why did it have to be Sinon? Of all people? Here, in nothing but a b-bikini… great, now I'm stuttering in my mind. Watch me get a bloody nose-_ Kirito quickly reached up and checked, resting his hand beneath his nose. _Whew, no blood._

"I-I'm sure." Sinon responded quietly, sinking into the water. She was blushing more by the second, and she dipped herself further down until the water level was right above her lips.

Kirito gulped and looked up, silently sighing in relief that Sinon was mostly covered by the water and steam. He slowly walked over to the opposite side of the hot spring and slid himself in, relishing in the magnificent heat coursing over his entire body.

"U-umm… thanks." He said, adverting his eyes from Sinon's general location.

Sinon didn't respond, she just pouted below the water's surface and blew a few bubbles. _I can't believe I'm doing this._

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **You know, I can't even begin to describe how weird I felt while writing this. This was the first hot spring scene I've ever even considered writing. I hope it was okay, as much as it was awkward. I just hope it was cute.**

 **Yeah, and sorry for the late update. I sort of put it off… decided to work on Flame… Anyway, new chapter done and the next will consist of their little 'date'. More of a solo run actually, but with each other and in an exploration kind of role.**

 **This is still a side project of mine, so I won't be updating it** _ **too**_ **often. Trust me though, it won't be** _ **too**_ **long a wait either. It just might not be as often as my main story.**

 _ **Review**_ **! You have no idea how much I look forward to reading what you all say.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **the story, lots more chapters to come.**

 **Cya XD**


	8. Partners

Sword Art Online: Desert Army

Partners

«»

 _Tree…_

…

…

 _Vine…_

…

…

…

 _Another tree… weird leaves… what's this?_ Kirito stopped momentarily to brush a grouping of blue flowers away and out of his path. _Pretty… but never trust anything in a jungle…_ He pulled them back and held them, eyeing the area ahead of him as his partner stepped through the thick foliage to his side.

Letting go once she was through, Kirito heard a satisfying brush of soft petals sweeping through the air before it settled back into its virtual place again.

"Who would've thought there was an enclosed jungle out here…" Sinon commented in a breathy voice, looking up and around the leafy canopy above.

With a shrug of the shoulders, Kirito moved forward. "We haven't really seen most of the island yet. Who knows what else there is out here."

The mountains were too high to fly over. And considering there were mountains surrounding the entire heart of the island, as well as creating segments that ridge all the way out to the sea, there's no flying anywhere long-distance here.

This meant there was no way to scout out the next town without actually making the venture out to it.

And from how the first two towns went, that venture was usually pretty dangerous.

"It was pretty lucky we spotted this place." Kirito continued. They had just started their little solo-run together after meeting with Vel, and now they've found themselves in a desolate enclosure. The entire setting was tucked into the far north-eastern side of this section of the island.

"Luck had everything to do with it. The entrance was practically hidden." Sinon responded, following close behind the spriggan.

True to her words, the entrance actually took a few tight turns through a split in the mountains. Nearly invisible at all the wrong angles, but at the right one, it's clear as day.

Of course, that right angle happened to be a few meters shy of the actual entrance.

And it could help to be chasing a desert fox at the time.

"What? The little guy stole your quiver." Kirito smiled and looked back at the archer, "I had to get it back."

A small smile tugged at Sinon's lips as she huffed in annoyance, "The fox was quick. If I had at least one arrow in my hand, I would've got him for sure."

"Mhmm." Kirito nodded with a hum, "I don't doubt it."

Sinon sighed and walked up to be in line with the swordsman's side rather than behind him, "S-still though, thanks for chasing after it."

With a cheeky smile, Kirito swung his sword and cut away a few hanging vines in front of them, "Sure thing. It led us here anyway."

Here being a thick expansion of trees in every direction up until the abrupt root-ridden walls cut off the dirt and toward upward, creating the walls of the sunny cove around them. Looking up, there was a thick jungle canopy that hung lusciously over the trunks and underbrush, the tops of the trees molding together to create a sky of green.

All across the roof, there were gaps, cracks, and webbed openings that let in the golden rays of the sun. The shimmering glimmer of light stopped at nothing as it cascaded down to the forest floor, rendering it in such a way to enchant the eyes and illuminate the particles that lingered in the still air.

There were no paths nor was there dirt to walk on. The faint traces of sand still presented themselves on the wood of the trees and between the blades of grass at their feet, but it was all a welcome contrast to the world outside.

Still though, no wildlife could be found anywhere in this large cove of trees and roots. The plant-life was luscious and abundant, but the natural animals that came with it seemed to be non-existent.

"Do you think… that maybe… _he_ hasn't found this place yet?" Sinon asked quietly, a noticeable emphasis on who she was referring to.

 _He… he knows this island better than anyone._ "It's likely that he's the reason why there isn't a soul in this entire jungle." Kirito said. His words subtly reminding Sinon of the significant lack of bugs, chirps, scratches or even any sort of signs of movement.

It was all devoid of any of that.

Sinon pressed her lips into a thin line as she thought about it, "It's cruel."

"He's a bad guy, well… from what Vel told us…" Kirito responded as he looked over to her.

* * *

"His name is Blaido."

The sound of heated metal rapidly cooling in a burst of steam emphasized the name spoken.

"I know you're kind Kirito, but this isn't the place to play hero." The steam plumed up and around Vel's goggle-clad form. Her sky blue eyes and visage were just barely made out through the thick storm of heat.

"I'm not a hero." Kirito responded dully, standing opposite the small master blacksmith; beside him stood Sinon, her blue tail flicking idly back and forth.

"You say that… but you don't act like your ideals. Never hesitating to help someone. Never faltering in your endeavors to save a life. You're a protector Kirito…" Vel sighed and lifted the cooled metal from its watery confinement. Trails of steam still drifted in its hot wake as she moved it through the air. "…there's a lot of worlds that need more people like you."

Her eyes cast their glances to the two fairies in her workshop, "The truth is, _you_ can't do this one alone. Not without help."

"What do you mean? Is this man really that powerful?" Sinon asked.

The pink haired girl's eyes then transitioned to her and a small grimace contorted her young face, "He's like a demon. His presence alone holds power over the creatures of this island, and subsequently, all of its inhabitants as well."

A resounding clang settled across the walls and dome of the top-most room in Vel's central tower, her cooled blade now lying atop her metal workbench. "They say it's in his eyes… some sort of lurking power that causes his eyes to glow."

"How does a man obtain so much power?" Kirito asked.

Vel sighed and crossed her arms, giving the two in front of the blacksmith her attention. "People don't think he's a man to begin with. In fact, people seem to think he's not even a fairy."

"Is he human then?" Sinon spoke up, trying to understand what Vel was suggesting.

"Unlikely." Vel responded in an exhale, "However, it's only speculation right now. He gives the appearance of a simple man… but beneath that, no one knows for sure. The only thing we _do_ know is not to defy him. Of course… we weren't expecting visiting fairies from the mainland."

"Why are we so important though? Is that fact really that much of a game changer here?" Kirito crossed his arms, his face remaining indifferent but his voice laced with an edge of unease.

"Simple really." Vel lifted here goggles and rested them loosely in her pink hair, "With you comes the sword strength and magic power of an entire world. If you haven't noticed already, Blaido is building an army. With that though begs an important question."

"Why?" Sinon inferred.

Vel nodded her head and flashed Sinon a thumbs up. "Yup. Why is this man building an army?"

"Do you know his reason?"

With an extension of her arms, Vel opened her small palms and shrugged her shoulders. "Global domination. World extinction. Total control. Power. I don't know. I'm just a master blacksmith."

"So… we don't know then." Kirito confirmed with a sigh. "Great…" This world quest was beginning to get interesting, however they still didn't know much about their enemy.

"Can you tell us anything more about Blaido?" Asked Sinon.

"I wish I could. He's a concealed man. Most of his endeavors are completed by his Daevas."

"Daevas?"

Vel pressed her hands against the edge of her metal workspace and pulled herself up, sitting on its surface as she began kicking her legs idly. "Yeah, that's what they call themselves. It's an elite group of three of Blaido's closest warriors."

She took a deep breath and picked up her sword, the metal now fully cool and simply warm to the touch. Her hand wrapped around the handle as she reached around with the other for her handle dressings.

"Bound by certain traits, the three warriors of the Daevas have distinct personalities. Rage… Greed… and Lust; three paths that all subsequently lead to theft, violence, or murder. They are Blaido's sins, and they are only loyal to him and him alone. They will fight for him, kill for him, and die for him." Her voice was losing its luster of careless naivety and innocence, even the speed of her hands slowed noticeably as she wrapped the thin metal handle in her hands.

"The sin of Rage, otherwise known as Deliare is known for his strength, brutality, willpower, and cunning strategic tactics. His strength is second to none and his anger is even more so, so… try not to get him angry." She finished her dressing of the sword and set it aside. "The next warrior is the sin of Greed, his name is Valdric. Quicker than most, he has the lightest of touches but the most precise of attacks. He is the most deceptive and slippery of the three, the moment you let your guard down is the moment you fall to his blade."

Vel sat back and rested against the wall behind her, "And finally, the sin of Lust. Her name is Lucifa. She has the charm, the tact, and the manipulation. Once she gets inside your head, there is no escaping her forward actions or silver tongue. She's the kind of woman to always get what she wants, be sure not to give that to her. Well, try to anyway."

 _Three elite fighters need to be defeated. And then there's Blaido. Who knows just how powerful he can be, let alone all the Daevas in the first place. This may have just gotten a lot tougher than I thought it would be…_ Kirito stuffed his hands in his pockets as he mulled over the information. "It's not much to go on."

"That's all I know. You might be able to find more on the Daevas in the next towns, but if you're really unlucky… you might just meet one. They've been active lately." Vel said from atop her perch.

Sinon shared a look with her bathing partner, "Do you think it's time we got the word out?"

"About the island?" Sinon nodded her head to Kirito's inquiry, causing him to sigh and rub his neck. "Maybe. We're not too far in yet, and word is spreading pretty quickly on its own… let's wait on that."

There was still a great deal of searching the island to be had. They passed up a bunch of markers on the map just from traveling between the first and second towns, but the markers around here seem fairly promising. Maybe he could finally get Sinon a rare sword.

"Alright, we'll wait then." A light breath escaped Sinon's lips as she shifted her weight.

* * *

"Whatever his reasons, whatever was in this jungle, that man's already plundered it. So, hopefully we won't have anything to worry about here." Kirito brushed aside a few more groupings of leaves and flowers, carefully stepping atop overgrown roots as he took them deeper into the coven.

"Do you think there's anything left for _us_ to find?" Asked Sinon.

"There might be something he missed. Maybe there's some loot that he didn't care for."

Upon slicing through a couple more dangling vines, Kirito's eyes took in the tell-tale signs of a clearing coming up. The trees were beginning to space out more as they walked, and his cautious gaze took in the increasing amount of light beginning to shine through.

"What's that sound?"

He heard it too. There was a light whirring noise coming from up ahead. It sounded like an enchantment of sorts, humming with circulating energy with a small trace of a resounding but continuous gentle tone.

"I'm… not sure." Kirito responded, placing his hand on a tree as he passed by. There was a very faint rumble in its bark, almost as if it was coursing with some trace amounts of energy. "…magic?"

"What else would be causing it?"

Kirito took his hand off the tree and moved on, "Good point."

As the trees thinned out, and the roots began to become sparse beneath their boots, the two fairies stepped out of the tree line and entered a grassy opening. All around it spanned a loose wall of tall trees.

The sun above glowed brightly down upon them through the wide opening in the canopy, and beyond the edge of the leaves the two could make out the ridge of mountains surrounding them on all sides.

"There." The whirring became more prominent the second they stepped into the clearing, the light humming replacing the once silent trek and soothing the trees around them into a still animation.

At the center of the clearing glowed a pale white glyph. It pulsed and rotated in a swirling disk of intricate patterns and segmented designs. Its slow almost hypnotizing pace spiked Kirito's curiosity. And so, he began walking forward.

"W-wait, what if it's a trap?" Sinon reached out, tugging at the sleeve of his arm to stop him from proceeding. She looked past him, suspiciously eyeing the slowly spinning glyph.

Kirito gave the worried girl a reassuring smile, giving her a glance over his shoulder. His collar just covered his chin and he tilted his head in such a way to warrant a small sense of confidence and security.

 _Damnit… y-you don't have to be so cool all the time…_ Sinon lightly blushed, her fingers losing their grip on Kirito's sleeve as she dropped her hand down to rest on her quiver.

"It's most definitely a trap… that's why I'm going to trigger it. I'm the one with the health after all." Kirito pointed up to where his health bar was displayed on Sinon's HUD. He was right, in a way. He _did_ have more defense and more health than Sinon's stats gave her.

If anyone were to trigger that trap, it was going to be Kirito. But… he didn't _have_ to. "If we know it's a trap, why should we activate it?" She voiced her thoughts in concern.

Kirito moved forward again and let the tip of his blade brush over the tips of the waving grass at his feet, "…so no one else has to." He responded quietly, but Sinon's cait sith ears picked up his words nonetheless. "Where's your sense of adventure Sinon? Let's see what happens when this thing goes off!" His voice picked up in volume and tone; as if to brush off any worry she still had weighing on her shoulders.

"J-just… be careful!" She called back, subtly drawing an arrow from her waist and notching it on her Bane of Shadows bow. The projectile glowed subtly, its cobalt blue tip glimmering softly in the sunlight as she eyes her swordsman carefully.

With the gently swish of grass beneath the spriggan's boots, Kirito's form approached the edge of the circulating glass-like image. It was thin, delicate almost, and it intrigued him as to what it would do. He extended his hand out in front of him, the mere presence of the ones and zeros in his digits caused the glyph to glow brighter.

Albeit only slightly.

He quirked an eyebrow as he held more of his arm above the rotating design, causing that white glow to shine just a little brighter.

 _I don't think this is a trap._ He turned halfway and gave Sinon a crooked grin, sheathing his ancient blade as he did so. Sinon gave him a confused look, tilting her head slightly as she stared back at him.

Before she could say anything, Kirito turned to face the magic circle again and stepped fully inside. Immediately, the glyph spun faster and its white light erupted in intensity. The strong beam of energy fanned out through the trees before casting upward and engulfing the teen in a sea of energy.

"K-kirito?!" Sinon ran forward, shielding her eyes from the light. She could just barely make out the spriggans shrouded silhouette… but in the next moment… it was gone. The light died off and the glyph slowed to its previous pace.

…Kirito was nowhere in sight.

For a moment, Sinon came to a stop and frantically searched for his purple flame; the only evidence of an avatar's death. But as her eyes searched throughout the surface of the intricate glyph, the air above it was completely empty.

Kirito wasn't dead.

She breathed a sigh of relief, saving her resurrection item for when she truly needed, and unequipped her bow. Worry was evident in her features and shaky breathing, but she needed to see what happened to Kirito.

Her map was devoid of his player icon, and he was nowhere in her immediate area.

But he head to be _somewhere_ …

Without any other thoughts tying her down, Sinon stepped up to the glyph's edge and immediately walked in. Her HUD became engulfed in a blinding white light, much like what happened to the spriggan, and she suddenly felt herself lift into the air.

It was only for a moment, because before she knew it… her feet touched ground again and the light faded from her vision.

Slightly disoriented, her reflective blue eyes dashed around to take in her surroundings.

 _Stone walls?_ Everywhere she looked, she was completely surrounded by stone walls. They were decently tall, about three to four meters high, and the curved in a wide circle around the center of the apparent stone courtyard.

The stones were cracked in places and webbed with growing masses of vines and green leaves. She couldn't see too far beyond their peaks, and when she tried to spawn in her wings an icon blinked softly in her peripherals.

Something she hadn't noticed before. Taking a look, it was a small image of fairy wings, but it was faded and grayed out.

She was grounded.

 _A dungeon?_ Looking up again, the bright blue sky spanned brightly over her position. She could now make out the distant mountains, the same ones that surrounded them before in the jungle. _Am I… still in the jungle? I have to be._

"Looks like a maze."

A familiar voice called out, and she whirled around to see Kirito walk toward her from an opening in the walls.

She smiled, her worry quickly being extinguished as she fought the urge to embrace the spriggan, "Another one? Weren't we just in a labrynth?" Instead, she tossed out a sarcastic response.

"Yeah, well this one seems much easier. We may be grounded, but we should be able to make it out pretty easily." He spoke again, further easing the archer's tension.

Now that her eyes weren't searching for the swordsman, they began to wander and take in the details of the walls. The ground around her seemed cracked in most places, and everything else just seemed plain.

The central area of the maze wasn't very large, just eight meters in diameter, so it wasn't too expansive. However, her eyes caught a glimpse of something behind the covering of vines.

Kirito hummed for a moment as he saw Sinon's eyes trace something behind him, and he turned to take a look too. Beside him, Sinon made her way over to the nearest wall and pulled away the old strands of green.

"Pictures. The walls are painted with pictures." She said, pulling the vines completely off the wall as she ran her fingers over the rough surface of the wall. The images depicted a beast.

"Think they tell a story?" Kirito asked, stepping up to Sinon's right side and pulling off more vines.

"Like cave paintings?"

Kirito tugged away the net of vines and nodded his head, "Archaeologists call it parietal art. Some can date back to 40,000 years ago, but this could be a depiction of something similar. Maybe there's some sort of civilization that used to live in this jungle."

"Or still lives here." Sinon added, not wanting to rule that option out.

After another nod, Kirito shrugged his shoulders and began making his way around. There was a chance of that, but it was likely the fairies who lived here were an older race and might not be around anymore.

Sinon walked the opposite direction, knowing what Kirito was up to, and the two began pulling the vines off the walls as they worked their way around the edge of the room. As more and more vines came loose and bunched up dryly on the stone floor, it was more apparent that the images foretold a linear story.

Each picture had a relation with the next one over, and so on until the story would end.

A few minutes passed, and Kirito and Sinon's shoulders bumped lightly against the other as the last of the vines fell free from the wall.

"S-sorry." Kirito apologized, shaking his hand free of the brittle leaves.

"N-no, don't be." It may have been just for a second, but Sinon was finding herself more and more pathetic with the accidental moments like these. It may have been because, just earlier, they had been sharing a hot spring together.

But it seemed that her suppressed feelings for the one next to her were getting stronger. If that were even possible.

Clenching her hands into fists softly, Sinon turned away and cleared her throat, "A-anyway, let's take a look at the wall."

Walking away from Kirito, she heard an audible 'Sure' from him before she heard his footfalls on the stones as well. Going to where the images started, the two fairies approached the right side of the only opening in the walls. Drawn there was the detailed image of a town, in it were crudely drawn depictions of the people happily thriving in the jungle they inhabited.

"They look so… happy." Sinon noted.

"Yeah, they do. But…" Kirito's voice trailed off as his eyes moved onto the next image. This continued, the two remaining mostly silent for the entire reading. The two fairies experienced various emotions, facial expressions, curiosity, and some moments of confusion as they slowly put the story together of what happened here.

From what they could make out, the previous civilization here were herbalists. They were known in the trade world as the best medicinal item makers and potion brewers, however… their village hid a dark secret from the rest of the world.

Whether out of fear or shame, a large beast began to show up at night. It would go on rampages, destroying the carefully grown herbs and eating whatever food it could find. Since the villagers had no fighters who could go against the monstrosity, they began leaving it weekly offerings.

Some villages ventured out to find this beast. But no matter how many times they searched, they always came back with nothing. How can a beast this size, disappear so easily? It would always leave a trail of unmistakable destruction. And yet, no one had ever seen it. And tracking it was no use. Despite coming in like a hurricane, it would always fade into the jungle like the morning mist.

Giving up the pointless hunt, they decided on an alternate option. At the end of every week, they would set aside a portion of food for the monster. It was at least fifteen percent of their total stock, but they were more than relieved that it was enough to satisfy the beast.

This appeared to work for the majority of a year.

But one day, the day before the weekly offering, a stranger appeared in town. His appearance was tall and thin, his facial features were left shrouded in darkness as his ear length white hair was drawn in an unkempt careless look.

The only thing that was drawn in detail about the stranger was his eyes. His irises were colored bright red. Kirito and Sinon weren't sure if the painter's hand slipped, but streaks of red trailed behind the man as he walked forward; each trail originating individually from his piercing eyes.

This stranger spoke to the village elder, and without any struggle or disagreement, the man walked out of town that very night. All of their food, their herbs, all of it was taken with him.

Even the offering.

Frantically, the village scavenged for food. They had barely enough to fend for themselves, let alone please the monster that would undoubtedly make an appearance the next night. It was then that the village elder made a decision.

They needed to leave the jungle, go somewhere else to grow their herbs without the constant fear of being eaten at night. So, before darkness fell on the people of the village once more, they all left. The tribe ventured out into the vast expanse of the desert.

"The story ends here." Sinon said softly, her hand placed gently against the final picture.

Her words lingered in the air for a couple seconds, both their minds stringing together a similar thought, "That was Blaido… wasn't it? He was the stranger that showed up." Spoke Kirito, being the first to turn away from the wall.

"It could've been… yeah." Sinon let her hand fall, turning her head to Kirito, "At least we know they could still be alive."

"If they survived for as long as they did in the jungle, they probably found another place to settle down. So, yeah, still alive and kicking." Said Kirito as he stepped away and looked around the room one more time. "I wonder if the beast is still alive then…"

"Doubtful, it probably died off with the lack of food." Sinon offered.

"Or, it survived on hunting the rest of the animals in the jungle. If it was a great hunter, it'd explain the lack of wildlife." Kirito responded offhandedly.

Sinon's ears perked up for a moment, and the cait sith's head snapped to the opening. Kirito followed her gaze without missing a beat, his own senses going off as a dash of orange fur disappeared just around the wall.

"Did you see that?"

"Yes…" Kirito dashed out of the central room and skidded around the corner, seeing the blue tip of a tail flip around one of the turns up ahead of him. "Want to follow it?"

His question was answered as Sinon grabbed his hand and pulled him after the creature, "Of course! Now pick up the pace."

Kirito found his footing and ran slightly ahead of the archer; if there weren't so many corners he could easily cover a distance in no time at all. But as the two turned the next corner, they had to immediately slide around another bend as they caught a glimpse of that furry tail again.

They could hear the scraping of small claws, and with every corner, they seemed to be getting closer. Finally, they came across a straight corridor and they caught site of the small animal.

It was around the size and body structure of a fox with a cutely big head. The small creature looked over its shoulder with large alluring dark brown eyes, and atop its head was some sort of small bone skull.

It was previously owned by a bird or creature with a snout, seeing as the beak of it curved down to the center of its furry forehead. Two bone-like antlers protruded from it and angled backward. This accessory was nestled between two large pointed ears, the fur transitioned into a small portion of purple before fading into blue all the way to the tip.

A wide toothy grin appeared on the creature's face, two of his bottom teeth sharply protruded out and rested on the outside of his upper jaw. His furry cheekbones gave his head an innocent and adorable appearance, but there was still that glint of mischief behind them.

Aside from the half-ends of its tail and ears, the rest of the creature's fur was light orange. The occasional streak or accent of white fur was prominent as well, but it was hard to tell exactly where each patch was located.

However, Kirito's observation of the animal was cut short as the creature held out a small bone boomerang. Its tail flick for a moment as it tossed it to the side, bouncing it off of a loose stone and causing the embedded rock to sink into the wall slightly.

"Oh no…"

The two noticed the walls release a dusty blast of air before slowly pulling together. Their pathway to this creature was quickly closing as the two opposite walls began to try and block off that corridor halfway through.

"Time to speed up." Without thinking, Kirito tightened his grip on Sinon's hand and surged forward, dashing in between the sealing walls just in time to see them close behind Sinon's kicking boots.

Sinon's eyes went wide as she caught her breath, "Watch out!"

Kirito turned forward again and planted his boots hard into the ground, but his speed was more than enough to throw the two over the edge of a recently opened pitfall.

Losing all sense of relation to the ground, gravity took hold of the two fairies and pulled their flailing forms down into the somewhat deep rectangular hole.

"S-spikes… spikes!" Kirito called out as he let go of Sinon. "We can land in the gaps… just be as accurate as you can!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Accuracy was something that came easy to Sinon.

It was amazing how the two shared that brief conversation, maybe the pit was deeper than Kirito thought. In the end, they had just finished screaming words by the time two dull thuds sounded out from the deepest part of the pitfall.

All around them, time-worn bone spikes protruded from the ground and littered the floor and walls of the trap. The spacing between each one was random, and varied in distances.

But it was still barely enough to avoid impalement.

However… that wasn't the current issue.

Breathing heavily, Kirito was becoming increasingly aware of the soft curvy body pressing fully against him. His dark eyes were wide as he stared into the depths of sapphire orbs… which were already staring right back at him.

They had somehow contorted their bodies in an effort to avoid getting stabbed to death, and ended up being pressed flush up against one another.

A heavy blush settled across both their faces, their noses were already close enough to bump each other and neither of them could stop thinking about how short the distance was between their lips.

"…y-you okay?" Finally, after minutes of sharing each other's hot breaths, Kirito spoke up.

Sinon bit her lip and gave the swordsman a tiny nod, her eyes occasionally glancing down to Kirito's lips every few seconds.

The spriggan however, smiled in relief and relaxed a little.

That proved to be a mistake.

He felt something sharp pierce his leg and back, causing him to immediately straighten up again and push further into Sinon's body. The blush dusting her cheeks intensified as Kirito rested his hands against her lower back, looking for support to regain his balance.

When he was sure he was clear of the spikes behind him, he began removing his hands. But before he could pull them back, Sinon quickly reached down and stopped his movements, pushing them back into place.

"D-don't move… w-we need to keep o-our balance." She explained in a shaky voice, a small shudder ran up her tail a moment later as Kirito put some pressure against her back.

"Alright, b-but we still need to find a way out of this trap." Kirito responded distractedly but with an equally red face, trying his best to look away.

They both carefully cast their gazes upward and saw the creature from before sitting at the edge of the pit. It stared down at them before sticking out its tongue and babbling at them, "Shugi shugi shugi!"

It shook its tail tauntingly before disappearing over the edge, an annoyingly satisfied smirk settled across its face.

When they looked down, they once again bumped noses and caused Sinon's next breath to hitch quietly.

"Sorry, looks like we lost him." Kirito apologized, eyes adverted as he looked to the side.

Honestly, that was the last thing crossing Sinon's mind. _Who cares that we lost him! J-just… please don't find a way out any time soon._ Sinon's entire body tingled; the only parts of herself that weren't pressed into Kirito's form were her shins and head.

She was more than certain he could feel her heartbeat getting faster, but it was impossible to distinguish hers from Kirito's own rapid heartbeat anyway.

"Think we can climb out?"

 _N-no…_ "Maybe." She wanted to say no.

Taking a very shaky breath through her nose, Sinon began to focus on her breathing. She could feel her body begin to want to pant, that was something she needed to avoid. She was already feeling flustered and light in the head.

Part of her mind was vaguely aware of her tail beginning to move, but her heated thoughts didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until her fluffy appendage wrapped around Kirito's waist and pulled the two tighter together that she realized what she was doing.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm just… not used to this…" Sinon spoke sheepishly, but her tail retained its tight embrace around their waists.

"U-used to what?" Kirito's voice nearly cracked, his eyes flicking between her eyes and her tail.

"O-of contact… of t-this feeling… o-of _you_ …" She was beginning to let her mouth run without thinking, and she was desperately trying not to give into her feelings right here and now.

"O-of me? What do you mean? Didn't you used to hate me?" Kirito's voice came across as sheepish and cute, and her ears flattened slightly against her hair. Sinon tilted her head with a pout and an intensified blush, finding it harder to voice her thoughts.

"N-not anymore, a-actually I kind of like you now." She shut her eyes tight and flushed a little more red. She needed to come up with something, anything, "I-I haven't r-really had much contact with anyone i-in my life. S-so, with what happened recently, I've been trying to get used to the feeling of other people's touch again."

There was a long pause between them, causing Sinon to crack her eyes back open and see Kirito's face.

"Oh."

He sounded… disappointed? Was it something she said?! Did he… _want_ her to say it was because of him that she was acting like this? "I-it's because… it's because I-I… because I lo-"

"Sinon."

Sinon yelped a bit and snapped her eyes back up to Kirito's onyx irises, embarrassed and unsure of what he was going to say.

"Why didn't you say you needed help? I'd be glad to help you get over your human contact problem." Kirito said kindly, giving her a warm smile and leaning his head away slightly.

Part of her was screaming in frustration, but another part of her was relieved. She wanted to finish what she was saying, and she was angry that he had cut her off. But what would have happened if she had said it?

Maybe… she'll confess to him later. Right now, she was glad that he wanted to help her.

"T-thanks, I'd like that." She finished instead, her flustered face settling down.

"Great, well for now, let's get out of here." Kirito said as he leaned carefully to the right, avoiding a couple protruding spears and having a look behind Sinon. There was a little room behind her to move, but she would need to step around a couple spikes to do it.

"Try to make it to the wall." He pointed behind her, and she got the idea of what he wanted her to do.

"I can't turn around. You'll have to guide me." Sinon pointed out. Turning around will take time, effort, and a lot of risk considering she has a couple spikes digging into her sides.

"That's fine. I'll get us out of here. It'll be like dancing, although… with a higher probability of death." Kirito spoke with a cheeky smile, settling his hands just above Sinon's waist as he peered around her again. "Stand on my boots."

Just as Sinon thought she'd be getting over her blush, it quickly came back with added heat as she slowly shuffled in place. After a few moments, she rested her boots into a comfortable position and held herself against Kirito's chest; ducking her head out of the way to give him a line of site.

"C-can you see?"

Kirito answered her question by moving forward, being sure to keep his steps slow to allow Sinon time for adjustment to his movements.

It was awkward, and painstakingly embarrassing, but the two carefully maneuvered out of the thick cluster of spikes and found themselves with a little wiggle room.

"Alright, let's see if we can scale the spikes up." Kirito said, prompting the cait sith to unwillingly step off of Kirito's toes and settle herself back onto the ground. The two still had to stick close to one another, but she was now able to stand at Kirito's side rather than nose to nose.

With Sinon safely on the ground again, Kirito reached up and grabbed hold of the end of a sharp prong. Pulling downward on it, he tested its ability to hold his weight before tightening his grip. "Follow my lead, use all the spikes I do and we should definitely make it up just fine."

"Got it. Makes you wish you could fly doesn't it." Sinon replied as she looked up.

"Yeah, it does. But I've climbed plenty of things before without wings. It's not that bad."

"So have I."

"Awesome! So this should go smoothly." Kirito reached over and scratched Sinon's cat ears, causing her tail to go rigid and the tips of her ears to bounce.

Kirito pulled himself upward and gave her a cheeky smile, "See you at the top."

Leaving behind an adorable red-faced Sinon, Kirito used trial and error to determine the strongest hand and footholds as he climbed his way to the top. His fingers reached the edge of the pit in no time and he pulled himself over.

Before doing anything else though, he swung around and lied himself down at the edge. Sinon was halfway up, so once she was within arm's reach Kirito stretched his arm down and took her hand.

He then pulled her up over the edge and away from the pitfall.

"You alright? No extra holes anywhere?" Kirito asked, eyeing Sinon up and down.

"N-no, just the ones my body already has."

"Cool." Kirito smiled his approval and turned around, looking around for the little creature that put them through all that. Whatever it was.

He wasn't complaining though.

The animal wasn't in sight at the moment, however Kirito might just be able to use his tracking spell and find out where it went.

"Dýr… reip." Kirito spoke two simple words of power, causing the golden text to snap in front of his body before activating. The power of his magic caused his eyes to glow and his HUD to tint green as well.

"See anything?" Sinon asked.

Kirito let his vision adjust and noticed faint green pawmarks littering the ground. The brightest ones eventually branched off from the rest, and as he traced their path with his eyes, he saw which corridor the creature took.

"Yeah, let's go see what this thing is." Kirito began following the trail, leading Sinon through the maze and attempting to relocate their target. Surprisingly, following the creature's footsteps actually led the two fairies out of the maze entirely.

Leading them out into a grassy opening by the jungle's edge. A dirt pathway extended across the ground and extended into the tree line, but the pathway the creature took didn't leave the area.

He followed the glowing footprints with his gaze and looked to his right, spotting the creature scratching its ears by the tree line.

"There he is." Kirito said, his tracker spell wearing off in that moment as well.

"What do you think he wants?" Sinon asked, eyeing the creature as well.

"Maybe he just wanted to have some fun?" Kirito offered with a shrug of his shoulders. If his theory was correct, then that was most likely the reason.

However, if that was the case and his theory was indeed correct, then they were in a lot of trouble.

Kirito stepped off the trail and headed for the fluffy animal, "Let's go say hi."

Sinon caught up to his side and gave him a quizzical look, "Are you sure about this?"

"No, but what's the worst that could happen?"

"Dying and losing some of our items."

"I can live with that."

The creature's ears perked up as the two approached him, his big eyes taking in our presence and causing his large tail to brush back and forth.

"Hey, any chance you can understand me?" Kirito spoke up, crouching and bringing himself eye to eye with the creature. Unfortunately, that resulted in Kirito's forehead getting whacked by a boomerang as the animal hissed at him.

"H-hey!"

Sinon crouched down as well, causing the creature to turn toward her and tilt its head. He deftly caught his boomerang out of the air and pounced at her. Surprisingly though, the creature simply landed in Sinon's arms without a twitch of hostility and licked her cheek.

"Oi… that's… that's not fair." Kirito complained, eyeing the creature again.

Upon hearing the spriggan's voice however, the creature's ears twitched again and he whacked Kirito once more; giving him a decent hissing as well.

"Awe, I think he likes me." Sinon giggled, cradling the small animal in her arms as it snuggled into her chest.

 _Pervert… can't you see what it's doing?!_ Kirito screamed in his mind as he got up. Whenever he took a step closer to Sinon now, the creature would hiss and claw at him. The simple territorial acts were frustrating him to no end, and he didn't know why.

"Someone's feeling jealous." Sinon laughed a little harder, watching Kirito's angry displeasure.

The teen threw his hands in the air and growled, getting into a ferocious glaring match with the creature soon after. The two held their gazes, the intensity of the atmosphere growing slightly stronger as the two slowly began to growl.

Sinon was half-expecting a bolt of lightning to crash between the two, but that sadly wasn't a feature of the game.

However, before anything else could happen, Kirito broke their glaring match and took a step forward. The creature then threw its boomerang once more and Kirito's head and forced the teen to snatch it out of the air.

Then with a frustrated grunt, Kirito threw it aside and embedded it into the nearest tree; higher than the creature could possibly reach.

The small animal let out a whimper then a growl before hopping out of Sinon's arms and pawing at the base of the tree. It made several attempt to jump and reach for its bone boomerang, but all of them landed him just out of reach of his weapon.

"Serves you right." Kirito smirked triumphantly as he crossed his arms.

Sinon stood up and gave Kirito a teasing grin. "Were you jealous that you couldn't get close to me?"

Kirito's eyes turned to Sinon and realization suddenly dawned on him, "N-no… y-yes… maybe… I don't know."

Sinon couldn't help the sweet smile growing across her lips. A small ray of hope sprouted in her mind at the possibility of Kirito feeling the same way about her. That simple idea caused her to feel a little giddy on the inside, her mind feeling a little more at ease with confessing to him in the near future.

With an unnoticeable spring in her steps, she made her way over to the whimpering creature and kicked up the tree. She easily plucked his boomerang free from its bark confinement and landed gracefully back down on the grass.

"Here you go little guy." She spoke sweetly and rested the curved object between his front paws. Her hand then found its way between the animal's large ears and began petting him, causing his ears to flatten in bliss.

She quickly turned her head and glared at Kirito, his own eyes instantly adverting and staring off innocently into the distance.

"He was just having some fun Kirito, no need to be so mean with him. It's okay to feel jealous, that just means you care." Now, Sinon just wanted to see _just_ how much he cared.

Kirito crossed his arms with a huff and kicked the grass, "You're not the one who got hit by a boomerang."

* * *

Beta: demonic1556

Editor: Allix Stowe

* * *

 **Schooooooooooool. I feel like I've been in hibernation for the past month and a half. With the Holidays rolling around and school packing work in before Christmas hits, my motivation has taken a significant hit.**

 **Sorry for the wait. When I said this wasn't going to be updated** _ **too**_ **often, I didn't mean on a monthly basis. I'll be trying to update both stories somewhat frequently, but not enough to occupy all my time. Hopefully.**

 **Also, I think I've made a ton of things very obvious in this fic with the information given. Let's see if anyone can find them all…**

… **starting with this creature. Let's see where the LoL fans are…**

 **And I'm not just talking about this chapter by the way.**

 **One more thing, have any of you seen 'The Seven Deadly Sins' (Nanatsu no Taizai)? Great anime. The Daevas titles were inspired by that. I also took a little inspirations from the Jaegers in 'Akame Ga Kill'.**

 _ **Review**_ **! Let me know if you have any questions, comments, things to be said, thoughts to be heard, anything really. I look forward to all of it.** _ **Favorite**_ **and** _ **Follow**_ **the story, hopefully some information on the antagonist will wet your taste buds. Oh, and of course a little Sinon and Kirito development as well XP.**

 **Cya XD**


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